The Goblet of Fears
by StarWritingFlute200
Summary: Ella Worthington has just tackled what seemed to be the hardest year of her life, little does she know that this year is going to be much more difficult. Hogwarts is hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and between that, her ability to see the future feeling very wrong, and her ever developing feelings for a red-headed trouble maker -she's not sure how she's going to survive.
1. Chapter 1: The Riddle House

**A/N: I do not own the Harry Potter series, all things belong to J.K. Rowling. Also this is the 5th installment in Ella's series, if you haven't read the others, I suggest reading them first -it may help with any confusion you may have. :)**

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The Riddle House

Ella Worthington casually walked down a street in London without causing any trouble while the rest of the world passed by. The fifteen year old didn't have a particular reason for walking down a busy street in a busy city alone, but she enjoyed the freedom nonetheless. Ella had been out of school for a week, but to her it felt like she had been trapped there for months.

The young witch spent her days milling about wherever she felt she could. She hadn't had much time to change from the previous school year. The most notable difference was that she was finally wearing short sleeve shirts now that her arms had healed. The scars from the werewolf attack she had been a part of were only noticeable if someone knew where to look and looked closely. Currently, Ella's long brown hair was pulled back and her eyes were glazed over as her thoughts drifted. No Muggle paid Ella close attention, but none of them knew that the young girl in front of them was special and not just because she was a witch. Ella was a powerful witch, but she was also an Animagus and had the ability to see the future. While her past may have been exciting and the future may seem frightening, Ella's present was not faring much better either.

Ella's school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry may have ended a week ago, but Ella's parents still hadn't said a word to her. She was worried originally that something had happened to them when they didn't pick her up at the train station, but they had been perfectly fine as it turns out. The only thing out of the ordinary was that Ella had officially turned completely invisible to them. She remembered very clearly how they refused to even acknowledge her speaking. She didn't pay any mind though –she'd be with the Weasleys in just two short weeks.

Her parents may have been neglecting her existence, but the Weasley family was doing everything in their power to make sure she knew she had a home to turn to. No less than five letters were sitting in her bedroom currently, each from a different family member. Mr. Weasley's reminder to her that he would come and get her sooner if she needed him to while Mrs. Weasley sent a box of sweets along with a kind letter about how much she missed having her in the house. Ginny had also sent her a letter that Ella deciphered as her attempt to make sure she was okay, but instead of asking directly, Ginny just discussed Quidditch and her favorite team –the Holyhead Harpies. What truly surprised Ella were her two separate letters from Fred and George. While they typically wanted to send her letters together both of the boys must have decided voicing their thoughts would be easier if they were separated, which rarely ever happened.

She had to admit that the letter from Fred had somehow made its way under her pillow while George's sat on her desk. Nothing in it stood out much, but she had to admit that her stomach did flips when she thought of him taking the time to write the letter by himself. Ella had been hoping for almost two years that Fred would feel the same way about her, but he seemed to be completely oblivious no matter what. Maybe this year would be different –Ella hoped it would.

So Ella had responded to her friends and kept them up to date with the fact her parents may have been mute, but things were manageable. This wasn't something Ella had never dealt with before in any case. She was just a little appalled with the lengths they were going this time to keep quiet and pretend she wasn't there. Ella was honestly surprised that they were two adults. They acted like they were her age with giving silent treatments like this. She supposed it wasn't unwarranted considering she probably ruined their chances at a promotion for their work. Still it was a little disconcerting how easy it was for the three of them to be silent towards one another.

This wasn't what Ella contemplated on her walk around London though. Her head was filled with the latest information her dreams had given her the night before.

" _My Lord, Bertha Jorkins's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder–" Ella recognized the unmistakable quiver of Peter Pettigrew's voice, but the discussion he'd been having frightened her the most. She had no idea who had disappeared, but if Pettigrew was talking to who she assumed he was she knew that the poor woman must be in a terrible position._

 _Her worst thoughts were confirmed when a high voice rasped, "I killed Bertha because I had to. She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless." Voldemort spoke with no remorse in his voice. Part of Ella knew he was too inhumane to have anything even close to empathy in his veins, but the mere thought of a human committing murder and not caring even a bit was shocking._

 _Ella could tell that they were planning something big, but she had no idea whether she was seeing the near future or something that wouldn't happen for a year or more. Ella also didn't enjoy the idea of Voldemort's questioning tactics. The screams of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom still echoed in her mind on occasion. While she wouldn't wish that on anyone, it did seem like a plausible way to make some give you the information they wanted. It was also frustrating that she couldn't actually see this vision. All she could do was listen while darkness closed around her. Despite her attempts to push herself into the place Voldemort and Pettigrew were staying, her powers refused to comply. Sometimes she felt like she was grasping for something solid in these dreams only to realize this power was air._

 _The dream shifted after that sending Ella into a new realm, one that was becoming increasingly familiar to her. Most of the dreams she'd been having were beginning to come together now and all of them were pointing to the same thing. She could easily see now that Hogwarts was due to host the Tri-Wizard Tournament. By the looks of it, the event would be this coming year. Ella didn't know how she felt about the whole deal, but if Dumbledore agreed to it she assumed he knew what he was doing. So far she'd seen two of the three events that would take place during the tournament, but this was different. She somehow knew that this was a part of the tournament, but it wasn't like the others. The whole school was gathered in the Great Hall._

 _It had to be around Christmas time because that's what the decorations were indicating in the Great Hall. Ella stood in the center of all the madness as more students than she thought attended Hogwarts danced around her. She couldn't see their faces in the blur that surrounded her, but she could tell they were dressed up as though they were going to a ball._

From the dream, Ella could only assume she'd need to bring a dress to school. She found the idea of a ball almost absurd. The girls in her dream were all dolled up with special hair-dos and whatnot, but Ella had never seen even makeup on the Hogwarts grounds much less anything remotely possible for a ball. One of the main reasons Ella had chosen to walk around London was to see if she could find any makeup to buy her friends and herself. They'd want something to make them dressed up –she assumed anyway. Television was the only thing making her believe that. The other reason she was actually in London was a certain boy with a lightening scar.

Fred and George had both mentioned in their letters that this summer was going to top the charts in awful relatives being terrible to the people they are supposed to take care of. It appeared that the Dursleys, the family Harry Potter lived with and Ella had the privilege of spending Christmas Eve with the year before, were going on a diet and Harry was forced to go along with it. Ella could hardly believe that a boy like Harry would ever be allowed on a diet. Maybe Mrs. Weasley was really beginning to rub off on Ella, but she believed he was way too skinny for a boy his age. She'd made up her mind that it was completely necessary for her to send him food as well considering he'd be living the rest of the summer on portions that small house pets couldn't survive on.

As the day passed on, Ella glanced in the different shop windows she was passing by. Nothing really stuck out to her, but the most she typically wore was her school robes. Sure, her parents were still buying her business casual Muggle clothing so she'd fit in at home, but that wasn't something she often wore. It was starting to get later in the afternoon and Ella personally knew she'd need to be home before her parents got there. She decided she'd hail a taxi at the end of the street she was on.

And then she saw it.

The little beauty shop on the very corner of the street seemed to be pretty empty during the afternoon, but the dresses in the window were beautiful. Ella hardly even knew how clothing actually looked but these dresses were surely the height of fashion. One in the window display especially caught her eye. After stopping into the store for a short period of time, Ella left with the makeup she had wanted and the dress from the window. She could hardly believe her luck with it.

When she finally arrived back at her house, she was relieved that no one had arrived just yet. Both of her parents were still at work and when Ella glanced at a clock she realized she would most likely have an hour before they arrived at home. She rushed up to her room and threw the dress into her closet for safe keeping before sitting on the edge of her bed. Rowena sat across from her on the other side of the room and flew over to join her once Ella got comfortable.

"Why hello, any news today?" Ella asked her pet. Rowena cooed and hopped towards her desk. Ella followed the bird only slightly peeved that she had waited until Ella was comfortable to point out the letter. The envelope on the desk was clearly addressed to her in writing that she'd seen before.

 _Dear Ella,_

 _I hope this letter will reach you before you're my age, but finding birds has been rather difficult especially since this bird I don't wish to buy. You may know that I sent Harry a letter using an owl I bought for Ron. This letter would have gone with him, but the little thing probably wouldn't have gotten off the ground with two letters, which is why I've been waiting until now to send this to you._

 _Just so you know, I made it out of the country safely and will be watching my actions in order to remain free. You always warned me about being too careless so I assure you I'm being as careful as I possibly can be. I urge you to do the same._

 _The night when the big event happened I hope you came out of just fine. I barely was able to register at the time that you had followed us out there as a fox. It was only later when I was reflecting on it did I realize that even though you said you were going to go after Pettigrew you still ran away to go to where it seemed Lupin was. I don't know why you did that or everything that conspired that night, but I know you well enough to realize whatever happened was necessary._

 _Please take care of yourself and be sure to write to me if something horribly wrong happens,_

 _Padfoot_

Ella smiled at the letter and decided to respond only if she needed to. If Sirius kept receiving owls it would look suspicious and that was the last thing Ella wanted. She did, however, have a different letter to write. She took a seat at her desk and began to write.

 _Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

 _I hope I'm not bothering you too much, but I wanted to tell you about the dream I had last night, or at least ask a few questions. Do you know a Bertha Jorkins? If the name does sound familiar I think you should certainly look into where she is and how she is doing. I dreamt last night that Voldemort had killed her after she disappeared. Part of me fears that this has already happened, but if we could in any way prevent it we should. Voldemort mentioned something about questioning her and figuring something out from her. By the sounds of it –it was very bad for the rest of us._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ella Worthington_

After reading through the note several times, Ella smiled at her bird.

"I'm about to be very jealous of you because you get to go find Dumbledore, and I believe that'll be at Hogwarts," Ella told Rowena. The owl hooted excitedly. "Oh yes, brag it up why don't you? Better wait until tonight though or the first thing my parents will do to acknowledge my existence is kill me for showing my abnormality." Rowena nuzzled Ella's outstretched hand in acknowledgement as the door to the house slammed shut below them.

"Ella, come down here."

She froze.

Her parents hadn't addressed her since Christmas and now her mother was shouting for her to go downstairs and talk with them. Ella had no idea what she wanted but her mind could only imagine the worst. She slowly stood up and made her way to the living room.

Both of her parents stood in the center of the room and watched her enter. Neither of them were smiling, which she kind of expected but it was still making her nervous.

"Hi," she told them, "are we on speaking terms now?"

They ignored the snarky comment and her father said, "As you may remember from before you ran away last Christmas, your mother and I were trying to get a business promotion at work."

Ella nodded, "I remember."

"Well, we got it," her mother said shortly. Ella's eyes widened in shock. She had been thinking the whole time they hadn't gotten it. After all, she was supposed to help them look good and then ended up lashing out to all the rude guests before running away to the Burrow near midnight.

"Congratulations?"

Her mother huffed and looked towards Ella's father. He sighed and took one step forward. Looking Ella dead in the eye he uttered a phrase Ella was not expecting to hear.

"We're moving."

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 **A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last story, you really pulled through and as I promised, I put this one up! So what do you think is going to happen this year for Ella? We all know it's a pretty big school year in general so any guesses about Mad-eye or the ball or even interactions with the other schools? I don't want to ask for too much, but I'd love to get 15 reviews before the next chapter (but in all honesty, if I got 10 I'd post anyway) :) Thanks for all your support!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Scar

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series.**

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The Scar

"What?" Ella asked looking between both of her parents. "You can't be serious. How far away? Closer into London or what?"

Ella's mother shook her head stiffly, "Japan."

"Japan?" Ella all but yelled at the two of them.

"The position we applied for was extremely new and for it we needed to have access to very technologically advanced machines. The only place we could find willing to take on such a venture was Japan. We'll be moving there in two weeks," her father explained.

"But my friends, my school! How can I get there from Japan?"

Her parents looked at each other. Ella couldn't read either of their expressions, but she hated how silent they were about the question. Her whole body tensed in anticipation for their answer.

Finally her mother said, "You won't."

"Then I refuse to go."

"We'll leave you then," Ella's father responded. The seriousness in his voice left Ella without her breath for a moment. She schooled her expression to not show them her shock, but she could hardly find a reply.

"We are prepared to leave in two weeks whether you're coming with us or not. If you want to come with us you will have to give up this illogical nonsense you've taken part in and return to the real world. If you choose not to then we will not be taking you with us," her mother stated quite plainly.

"So what are you planning on doing then, leaving me to stay on the streets?" Ella bit back at them.

Timothy Worthington scoffed, "You have friends in your world of nonsense don't you?"

Ella looked at the man in disbelief, "And you expect me to go groveling to them asking for a place to live? Do you care what they think of you? What if they can't afford to take me in?"

"Do we care what they think of us?" Emily Worthington laughed humorlessly, "We refuse to even believe in their existence much less take interest in how they feel towards us. Besides, we have a trust for you that we've been raising since your birth. Originally, it was for you to get the top schooling at university, but if you decide to keep up this…. _thing_ then we'll give it all to you now to unburden our conscience. You've got that family you stay with anyway, I'm sure _they_ would take you in."

"So that's it then, you just give me away and we never see each other again? Doesn't that hurt you at all?" Ella asked. Her voice was dead, there wasn't even a quaver in it.

"It hurts us to look at our daughter and see something that undermines everything we have worked for and everything that we will ever work towards. Our whole lives have been spent studying something that does not leave room for anomalies like you and your kind," Timothy explained.

She shook her head, "Why should your work be more important than your daughter?"

Emily looked up, "Don't you understand that this isn't just our work? This is our entire way of life you're asking us to abandon for some fantasy world. If we accept this as reality where could we go from there? How can we recreate our lives? Why should we recreate–"

"Maybe because your daughter is worth more than what you're making her out to be," Ella shouted cutting her off. "This is not about your job or my being witch, I understand that perfectly. I always have. This has been coming on for many years, but you finally had a catalyst for taking action. Neither of you were parents from the start. I practically raised myself while you both were at work and if I tried to be a part of anything that wasn't science related you hated it. I never knew praise or how a parent was supposed to act until I met the Weasley family. Sure, I had everything I could have wanted here. There were clothes, plenty of room, and whatever else I needed, but I never had parents. You know that as well. You told me yourselves that neither of you wanted children. I was a mistake –an unhappy mistake.

Well I suppose this is finally your chance to get what you wanted without guilt. You can tell your friends I ran away or just not mention ever having a child in your new home. Go ahead, act as though you didn't give your fifteen year old daughter the ultimatum of giving up everything that makes her who she is or a family who didn't want her anyway. I have survived much worse than you and I will continue to do as much. I'm staying in England, and I hope you two have a nice rest of your life pretending like the last fifteen years didn't happen. I'm through being pushed around by you lot and caring what you think of me. It's too much energy with too little of an outcome."

Without another word, Ella stood up and went back up to her room. She was careful not to slam the door because that would show how upset she was, but her shaking hands were trying to work against her. As soon as the door was closed Ella felt lost. The door symbolized a barrier that stood between her and the entire world. She wasn't sure how to function in the current moment –it felt like everything was crashing around her. Part of her wanted to punch a wall or throw the nearest breakable item, but she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't muster the necessary energy to do any damage.

Her knees buckled beneath her and Ella found only enough strength for her arms to shoot out and prevent her from crashing into the floor. The last thing she needed was to break her nose or something because of this. She felt her breath catching in her chest and lowered herself to the floor while curling herself into a ball. It was surprising to her that she hadn't started crying yet, but she didn't want to cry. Despite everything that had happened between her and her parents, this was almost a relief. Sure, she didn't know where she'd be living, but she'd no longer dread going home to a family who'd emotionally abuse her for things she couldn't control. For years she's been saying that she's done caring what her parents think of her, and now she couldn't even bring herself to cry when they decide to finally give her the ultimatum of whether she should stay or leave.

For the longest time she imagined this moment would mean that she was losing her family, but if Ella had learned anything from the last few years it was that she had a family that cared for her even if it wasn't a blood relation. She had friends who looked out for her wellbeing like a family would and Ginny was the closest thing to a sister she'd ever had in her life. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley also took care of her like she was their own child. They'd always been there for her when she needed them. If anyone had ever been like a parent to her, it was the two of them. Then there was Sirius, he'd only been in her life for a year, but she had spent an entire school year sneaking around and learning about the past from him. No one had ever sat down with her and told her about their life. She could tell people more about his time in school than she could her own parents. Ella knew Sirius had a part in the family she made for herself, but she couldn't place where he belonged yet.

It was then that Ella remembered the gift Sirius gave her for Christmas. The little stone was still in its box inside her trunk. She hadn't moved it since she last used it. Ella moved to the pretty stone and held it in her palm. She carefully moved her thumb across the purple and black surface. As soon as her thumb left the last edge of it, a little phrase appeared in glittering letters.

 _One loyal friend is worth ten-thousand relatives._

Ella sat against the wall and stared at the floating letters for a while longer. She didn't have ten-thousand relatives, but she sure as hell had more than one loyal friend. Each of her friends were worth ten-thousand times what family she had been given. The stone in her hand was another reminder that she didn't need to be put down by her family, there were people who deeply cared for her.

The next several days passed in a blur of boxes and dreams. Ella would wake up disoriented in her dream then find herself just a dazed walking through the home she grew up in as it got packed away. Her parents seemed to act silent around her still, but this time it was more of an awkward silence –one where they didn't quite know what they should say or how to act around her. Most of Ella's things were easily packed away, but she didn't know what she wanted to do with them. She hardly needed as many Muggle clothes as she actually owned. If she left them here, they would obviously just be thrown out. Ella believed that'd be a waste of perfectly good clothing. At the very least they could be donated to people who needed them, or she figured they could be sold back for a bit of a profit. She wasn't an idiot. Ella knew the world practically operated around money and the clothes she had would make a pretty decent profit. One day before Mr. Weasley showed up, Ella took a taxi to downtown London and sold the clothes she had for an amount she found suitable. Then she turned around and bought her friends their Christmas and birthday presents. It was always much easier to buy them something they didn't have if she bought from the Muggle World.

By this point, Ella had also gotten plenty of makeup and other beauty supplies she could use to help her friends with. She was positive that the Muggleborns and Halfbloods would be the ones who would be tasked with helping everyone look great. Ella was nearly positive that none of them knew makeup extremely well, so she was trying hard to learn what she could before going to school. Ella had a bit of a warning so she figured she could use it to her advantage.

On Friday afternoon, Ella was looking over all over her things. She had about two trunks to take to the Weasleys, but she figured one of the trunks would be given to Mr. Weasley because it was full of different things like alarm clocks and a computer her parents had given to her before she found out she was a witch. Mr. Weasley would be at the house to pick her up on Saturday. She wasn't sure how she'd explain to him that she couldn't go back to her home after this. How was she even supposed to explain that she'd be taking two trunks to the Burrow instead of one? Ella's head spun with the thought of having to lie to the Weasleys, but she couldn't just tell such a kind group of people that her family was leaving and never coming back. Ella heard the doorbell ring downstairs.

She hurried downstairs to open the door since her parents were packing up somewhere else. Ella had learned in the last few days that if the door was going to be answered while her parent packed –she'd have to do it. She was fully prepared to accept whatever package was at the door, but a mailman wasn't there.

"Mr. Weasley! I thought you were coming tomorrow," Ella said being careful not to open the door too far. The last thing he needed to see was the stack of boxes and emptiness of the living room.

"Yes, well, I got off work a little early today so I figured I'd stop by and get you a little earlier than scheduled. Are you packed?" The man asked. Ella was panicking by this point. She still didn't have a convincing story to tell him and while she was packed it just seemed too soon. Her throat clenched with emotion and her heart felt like it was about to explode. No matter how much Ella had convinced herself she didn't care, part of her had still hoped that her parents would change their mind before she had to leave.

Ella nodded, "My stuff is upstairs; I'll bring it down."

"Do you mind if I wait inside here?" Mr. Weasley asked. Before Ella could say anything, Mr. Weasley stepped into the boxed up house. Ella's stomach dropped straight through the floor as she saw a look of confusion spread across his face.

"I can explain… Just let me get my stuff first," Ella mumbled when Mr. Weasley turned to her for answers. He nodded tersely before following her to her empty room. She brought one trunk down while he took the other. When the two of them reached the living room and were in front of the door, Ella's parents were standing there.

Mr. Weasley looked between the two before asking, "Where did all of your things go?"

Ella looked over at him and whispered, "It's alright Mr. Weasley, I'll explain at the Burrow. Let's just go–"

"We're moving." Timothy Worthington said looking Mr. Weasley dead in the eye.

He looked down at Ella, "Do you have your new address then?"

"She's not going with us," Timothy responded for Ella. The teenage girl looked down at the floor unable to stand the look she was bound to be getting from Mr. Weasley.

"What in Merlin's name do you mean?"

Emily Worthington sighed, "Ella, would like to remain with your kind, so she's not welcome to come with us. We are working in Japan on a scientific project. We cannot be distracted by something like these abilities she has. We told her that she'd have to give them up if she wanted to come with us. She made it clear that wasn't going to happen."

"Because I'm not giving up what makes me who I am for the likes of the two of you. I thought I made that clear before when you decided that I wasn't fit to be your daughter anymore," Ella snapped. She turned to Mr. Weasley, "It's fine, honestly. I'm done with pretending this is my family. They don't want me and I don't want them anymore. I'll find somewhere else to live next summer."

Ella watched Mr. Weasley as his frown deepened. He looked away and his eyes found the last photo left unpacked. The glass holding the picture in the frame had been cracked by Ella the previous winter when she had gotten upset and lost control of her powers. There was a crack separating her from her parents. Every picture that had Ella in it was like that. At first when she returned home she felt guilty that all the photos had her cut off, but now it was fitting to her. There had always been a divide between them and now they were finally breaking apart. It was some sort of poetic justice.

"You are going to give up Ella?" Mr. Weasley asked. His voice was low and Ella wasn't sure she'd ever heard him like this.

Timothy straightened up to his full height, which was a bit taller than Mr. Weasley, "Didn't you hear her? The feeling between us is mutual."

"No. I refuse to believe that because no child grows up to want nothing to do with their parents. Something has to happen to make them not care anymore. I've been watching Ella for four years now and seeing how she has grown more and more discouraged by your manner towards her tells me that this isn't something mutual. She's been pushed to this. Ella is one of the brightest, kindest teenagers I've met and the fact you can't see it is baffling. You are giving up one of the best gifts that can be given and I feel truly sorry for you since you'll never realize that."

By this point Timothy Worthington was red in the face, "Then enjoy your gift from us." He walked over and gave Ella a piece of paper, "Your trust information. Have a good life." With that Mr. Worthington left the room. Emily Worthington looked where her husband went before her eyes fell on her daughter.

"All my life, I never wanted to be a wife or a mother. I had invested myself into my work for so long that it became something akin to a spouse and child –I was content with that. Then your father showed up in my life. He was just as committed to his work as I was and I fell for his work ethic as he did mine. We both had a thirst for knowledge that couldn't be quenched. I don't think I would call what we have love, but it was a mutual partnership that humans need eventually. I didn't account for him, but I certainly didn't account for you. I'd always wanted to work and to learn everything, but I'd never wanted to be a mother. Then I found out about you, and for a period of time I embraced it. I figured it would be a time to learn something new. I had seen mothers in the lab and on the train. Even at university some women were mothers, I figured I could learn a new thing and excel in it like any other field of study. You'd be like an experiment in a way, I'd nurture you and help shape you into a brilliant scientist like your father or myself.

I quickly discovered that children were not science experiments and not malleable. As you grew up and took on subjects that I hadn't liked in school I became frustrated. Then all the weird nightmares and dreams you had. The odd occurrences that followed you like a plague were taxing on my nerves and I began to resent the idea of being a mother. I couldn't handle motherhood and it made me more frustrated than I'd ever been so I took it out on you –the thing that made me a mother. I am deeply sorry it ended this way for us. I am sorry that I am not strong enough to accept that magic exists and I have a daughter who can do it. Your father never wanted to be a father, he hated the decision from the beginning, but I remember some women at university saying that some men are like that. I did try, and I want you to know that. Ella Marie Worthington, it was never your fault that we weren't strong enough to care for you in the way you should have been cared for. I'm glad you've found people who can though. You are going to do great things for your world, I can tell. Good luck, Ella."

Ella stood in shock for a moment before hugging her mother.

"You'll do great things in your world too," Ella whispered in her mother's ear. She nodded before following the same way her father went.

"We should probably get going, Ella," Mr. Weasley gently told her. The two of them walked out of the house and a little down the street. "Are you alright?"

"For now," Ella responded before looking down at the paper in her hand. "For now, we should probably go to Diagon Alley and transfer the money from my trust. I think they should be able to do that." Mr. Weasley nodded before turning and waving his wand towards her trunks. Ella knew they'd probably appear at the Burrow while she and Mr. Weasley worked on getting her money settled. The two took a taxi to London and Ella did everything in her power to make it seem normal to the Muggles they encountered. After a very hectic journey through Muggle London, Ella found herself in front of Gringotts.

"Hello, I have an account in the Muggle world that I'd like to put into a different account here." Ella requested to the goblin at the Muggle help desk. She turned to Mr. Weasley, "What number is your account so I can put my money there?"

Mr. Weasley looked at her puzzled, "Ella, shouldn't you put it in an account of your own? It is your money after all."

She smiled, "But you deserve to have it, especially with how often I stay with you."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, but you should have your own account. We couldn't possibly accept the money that is rightfully yours."

Ella sighed before giving her attention back to the goblin, "Fine, then I would like to transfer the money into an account here. Also, I'm not sure if this goes without saying, but I'd also like it to be transferred from pounds to galleons." She carefully smoothed out the paper she was given on the counter. The goblin picked it up and inspected it before turning around and scurrying somewhere else. Ella waited a moment for the goblin to return.

"Everything has been transferred ma'am, would you like me to tell you the total?" He asked her handing a small key for her to keep.

She shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

The goblin sniggered, "You've got 72,000 galleons in your account." Mr. Weasley audibly gasped at the number as Ella's eyes widened.

"You can't be serious, that's absurd."

"It's true, miss. There was quite a bit of money in that account. Pleasure doing business with you," the goblin bowed then shooed them away.

Outside of Gringotts Ella and Mr. Weasley looked at each other in disbelief. Ella looked at the little key in her hand and couldn't believe that she was in possession of a small fortune. She'd be set for the rest of her time at Hogwarts and then a little after as well.

"I guess, this is one last gift from my parents. They really wanted me to go to a nice university," Ella stated to break the silence.

Mr. Weasley chuckled, "Well at least one good thing came out of that. We'd better get to the Burrow, they'll be expecting us for dinner."

Ella nodded and the two made their way to the Leaky Cauldron to use Floo Powder for travel. By the time Ella got to the Burrow, she was covered in soot and coughing. She smiled as she saw Mrs. Weasley waiting for her.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley," Ella said as the woman gave her a hug.

"Ella, did you have a pleasant trip?" She asked kindly.

She laughed, "Is Floo Powder ever extremely pleasant?"

"Ella!"

"You're here!"

"Finally!"

"Took you long enough!"

The twins enveloped her in a massive hug as she broke apart from Mrs. Weasley. They were just as freckled as ever and grinned identically at her.

"Sorry, there was a bit of a hold up, but here I am. Thank you for the letters by the way, it was very sweet of you both," she responded with a smile.

"Molly, we need to talk," Mr. Weasley said coming out of the fireplace. Ella looked back at him worriedly, but he didn't seem to be phased. Ella could guess what they were going to discuss, but she was hoping that it could wait for a little bit. "Boys go up to your room."

"But–" Both of them tried saying.

"Now." Mr. Weasley told them. There was such an authority to the word that neither of them even tried to argue. Little did Mr. Weasley know that they only went up the stairs far enough to not be seen. Ginny, Percy, and Ron all met them there. Percy wasn't one to eavesdrop typically, but when it came to Ella he wanted to know what was happening.

Mrs. Weasley turned to her husband in surprise, "Now really, Arthur, what is this all about?"

Ella shook her head, "Mr. Weasley, it's fine really. We don't need to bring anyone else into this, please."

Mr. Weasley merely shook his head, "I'm sorry Ella, but this needs to be discussed. Her parents…those people…they moved."

"Technically they haven't just yet," Ella interjected but neither of the adults paid attention to her.

"Where are they going? You have their address for next summer, don't you Ella?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly. Ella couldn't look her in the eye.

Arthur Weasley sighed, "They aren't taking her. She doesn't have their address and they'll be all the way in Japan. They told her that she could either move and live with them or be a witch."

"That's ridiculous!" Mrs. Weasley huffed, "She can't control whether or not she's a witch."

Ella let out a dry laugh, "So my decision was pretty clear."

For a moment, Mrs. Weasley stood there not comprehending what she meant. The children on the stairs were baffled as well. Ella couldn't possibly mean what they thought she was saying. Mrs. Weasley finally came to terms with the information.

"I cannot believe them! How could any parent leave their child, albeit she is fifteen but that's no age to live on their own. I stood by when they refused to drop her off at the station or get her supplies, and I was a little more than furious when she was practically run out of her house in December, but this is unacceptable! I can't understand how two people could have gotten a daughter like Ella and not appreciated their luck. Every child deserves to be loved, and their actions are beyond me."

Ella closed her eyes against Mrs. Weasley's statement. She was glad that the woman loved her this much, but she felt so conflicted by the thought of her parents giving her up. Should she defend them? They may not have been there, but she'd been cared for at least. They may not have shown her love, but they hadn't wanted a child so they did fairly well under the circumstances. Ella spent her entire life wishing she had parents who loved her more or that she live somewhere else, and now that she was presented with the opportunity she felt like it was a betrayal to feel resentful or relieved.

And she still hadn't cried.

"It'll be alright, Mrs. Weasley, I can live here this summer then next summer I'll get a room at the Leaky Cauldron or something. I'll manage." Ella tried assuaging her, but the look on Mrs. Weasley's face showed that Ella had not said the right thing.

The woman shook her head, "Oh no you will not. You're going to live here, and we will take care of you. We should have done this a long time ago. A fifteen year old cannot live on their own –the very idea is absurd. I refuse to let you be on your own for such a length of time. You can stay with Ginny in her room, as you get older it may get a bit cramped, but I think you'll be able to manage well enough. Until you're of age, you're staying here. Then once you're old enough you can decide if you want to leave."

A flurry of emotions raced through Ella's mind, heart, and soul but the main one she felt was gratitude.

"Thank you."

The Weasley children all stood in shock for a moment. Percy had heard about Ella's parents from numerous sources, but he couldn't imagine a world where this was possible much like the rest of his siblings. Coming from a wonderful home, none of them had known how to handle a matter like this. They quickly scattered as to not be caught eavesdropping, but each of them felt heavy hearted learning that the world could be cruel to some of the kindest people. That night, all the Weasleys watched Ella carefully as she ate and joked as though nothing had happened hours before, and as the night went on each family member came to the conclusion that Ella was a lot stronger than anyone could guess at first glance.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow! That was a long chapter! What do you guys think? Just so you know, I got the amount of money her trust had by calculating a scientific profession her parents could both have with an annual amount taken out for her to go to university. I'd love to hear your reactions, so please review. I've been working a lot and feeling sick lately so that would help me keep motivated! Thank you all!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Invitation

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series.**

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The Invitation

 _Ella had been in this house before, and she was certainly not pleased to be back. The only thing that made this nightmare a little better than the last was that she had changed her point of view. Ella no longer stood by herself in the hallway of a broken down house. She still couldn't find out where she was exactly, which aggravated her to no end._

 _An elderly man stood across from Ella in the dusty hallway. He leaned heavily on a walking stick and was focusing intently on a lit room at the end of the hall. Ella was suddenly afraid for the man. Her fears only intensified when a cold voice cut through the dream like a knife._

" _One more murder…my faithful servant at Hogwarts…Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet…I think I hear Nagini." Ella's eyes widened. He had a servant at Hogwarts? That wasn't possible, was it? Could one of the other schools have a spy in their midst that was fulfilling Voldemort's wishes? She shuddered to think what that could mean for the competition._

 _Ella was so focused on the conversation going on in the room that she didn't even realize the giant snake was slithering down the hallway. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the monstrosity. The old man reacted in nearly the same way. Ella studied the beast as it passed by her, but something was wrong with the snake, its head kept flickering. Nagini's head shifted to be more human, but Ella couldn't see whose head it was. The flickers were quick and the distinguishing features were blurred and distorted in the rush. The snake disappeared shortly after its appearance into the room Voldemort and Wormtail currently occupied._

 _A strong tug ripped Ella out of the hallway and into the room with Voldemort. Ella turned her head and watched the old man. He seemed relatively composed, but why shouldn't he be? He didn't know what Voldemort or Wormtail were capable of. The two of them probably seemed like two freaks and a snake to the old man. This man hadn't seen the dark wizard yet. The chair was facing the back wall so he could only see the chair. Ella didn't want to see him. She could go her entire life without seeing the man or what was left of him._

" _But I am not a man, Muggle. I am much, much more than a man. However…why not? I will face you…Wormtail, come turn my chair around," Voldemort hissed. Ella unconsciously took a step backwards. Despite her invisibility, she didn't want to see him. Part of her did want to look at him. She had enough control to transport herself into a different dream, but she wanted to know what she was up against. What was the world up against? Wormtail whimpered at the request and Ella felt angry. The rat was awful enough to sell out his best friends and their child, but he wasn't able to even turn a chair around._

" _You heard me, Wormtail."_

 _Ella watched Pettigrew turn to the chair and slowly try to make it face them. It almost seemed painful to the rat. Nagini hissed angrily when the chair caught on the rug. Ella's heartbeat increased with every centimeter the chair moved._

 _Her hands covered her mouth to trap the scream that was bubbling to come out. The thing in the chair couldn't be human –it shouldn't even exist! The creature looked like it was covered in a layer of slime and the skin was shriveled and dead looking. His red eyes reminded her of a basilisk, and she certainly felt petrified. Ella felt bile rise in the back of her throat but struggled to hold it down. She felt the room beginning to spin and closed her eyes to block the sight out of her mind. The old man beside her started to scream and Ella felt tempted to as well, but she knew screaming solved nothing. A flash of green burst behind Ella's closed eyes and she quickly opened them._

 _She wasn't in the house anymore with a dead body and one that should have died long ago. A jet of green shot near where she was standing and she found a laugh escaping her lips. The man on the broomstick had the Quaffle in his arms and was guarding it with his life while people in red cloaks raced after him. Ella could see that the Irish man's skill was way more advanced than the Bulgarians', but the adrenaline rush from the game in front of her kept her captivated._

 _The picture of Lord Voldemort slowly slipped out of her mind as the crowded stadium took precedence in her dream. Soon enough she couldn't remember anything specific, just the sickening feeling she had gotten from what was left of his body._

 _Ella shook her head, "I don't want to see this. It'll spoil everything!" Her vision began rushing around so Ella couldn't see anything in the match. Then everything paused. The Bulgarian Seeker held the Snitch high in the air as blood dried beneath his nose. The scoreboard behind Ella read clearly: Bulgaria: 160, Ireland: 170. "Great, it's not like I wanted to be surprised." Ella thought bitterly. Sure, she didn't know how the rest of the match would go, but she now knew the outcome._

"Good, you're up!" Ginny said from across the room as Ella blinked blearily at her. She smiled at Ella before opening the blinds.

"Have you been up for long?" Ella asked.

Ginny shook her head, "No, it's morning though. Mum will have breakfast ready soon enough. I was told I need to clean my side of the room, or I'll be grounded."

"I'll help you, technically this is my room too," Ella told her with a small smile.

"Thanks, but it's my side that's dirty. You can hangout outside. If we're both in here Percy will have our heads for being too loud," Ginny giggled. Ella knew she was right. It was a Saturday meaning Percy would be in the Burrow all day. He'd been very temperamental since starting his job at the ministry. Ella assumed it was the foreign environment. Not everyone was very patient with him, but Ella assumed that she would probably act the same way. In fact, she had seen the twins get very irritated if they were disturbed during a crucial moment in creating one of their pranking inventions.

Ella and Ginny quickly threw on some clothes and made their way to the dining room in the Burrow. Mr. Weasley sat at the head of the table with a Daily Prophet in his hands. Mrs. Weasley was putting the finishing touches on their meal. The girls took their seats near Mr. Weasley and Ella peaked at the cover story on the newspaper. It was mainly focused on the different aspects of the World Cup. Everyone seemed to be obsessed with the sport –Ella had never seen or heard of anything quite so awe striking. She got giddy with excitement at the mere thought of attending.

"Good morning, girls," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile.

"Morning mum!" Ginny said with a smile.

"Hello, Mrs…Molly," Ella stuttered. The woman smiled kindly to her. Both of the parents insisted that she call them Molly and Arthur. It was taking a bit of time to get used to, but Ella was slowly becoming more comfortable with it.

Before long, the boys were all at the table in various stages of getting ready for the day. Percy, being ever the pristine one, was fully dressed and looked ready to go to the ministry even though he'd be at home. He Apparated into the kitchen with a slight pop causing everyone to turn in that direction. Ella had been told that ever since he passed the test, he'd Apparate into rooms just to prove he could. The twins were dressed, but their hair stuck out in different directions. Ella grinned at the little differences that could be spotted between the two just by their bedhead. George was more of a calm sleeper, his hair was flatted awkwardly against one side of his head. Fred, oppositely, was completely restless with hair sticking up everywhere. Ella watched him try to flatten it at the table, but he gave up when he realized it'd need a little more than patting to tame it. Ron was the least prepared of the boys, considering he was still in his robe and nothing had even touched his hair –aside from the bed. He sat at his spot at the table still rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Just a quick meal, mother. I've got a lot to do today. I have a report I need to begin working on for Mr. Crouch," Percy told his mother. Fred rolled his eyes and grinned at Ella. She smiled back and shrugged. He chuckled slightly before eating his breakfast.

As soon as Ella and the twins had finished their breakfast, they headed into the front yard. Ella loved how much space was at the Burrow. Even with all the people, Ella found that it was much more spacious there than at her old house. She hardly had any sort of room outside to walk around and explore when she was younger and now that she was older to bask in and see the different elements of beauty. She smiled at how the garden looked like a complete hodgepodge of plants –something that never would be allowed in her old neighborhood. Ella vaguely wondered if Harry felt the same way, but surely, he must have. The boy had grown up in almost the same conditions as she had. Little fun, little creativity, and a lot of ordinary perfection.

"So what's our agenda today, Fred?"

"Not sure yet George, but I'm sure we'll have to get a prank or two in before Perce gets back to work on Monday," Fred responded mischievously.

Ella laughed and leaned against the fence in the garden, "Come on, doesn't the poor guy have enough on his plate?"

George groaned, "You mean like impressing his new boyfriend? Mr. Crouch, I can help with that!"

"Mr. Crouch, I can polish your shoes with my own spit!"

"Mr. Crouch, I'll love you forever!" The two of them said. They both took on their ridiculously spot on impressions of Percy with his chest puffed out, a habit he had picked up after becoming Head Boy the year before.

She rolled her eyes at the two, "So what do you have in mind?"

George sat himself on the grass beneath his feet, "Beats me."

"Me too. I've been working on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes so much that I'm bled dry with ideas of how to prank him," Fred responded before following his brother's lead and sitting. His facial expression immediately turned from pensive to disgust.

"Gnome dung!" He cried out sitting back up. Before Ella could ask what kind of curse word that was, she saw that he had actually sat in literal gnome dung.

George was practically rolling with laughter and Ella had to hold onto the fence to keep upright she was laughing so hard. Fred's ears turned red with embarrassment before his eyes lit up.

"That's it! We'll send him this through the owl post!" He cried out. Ella wrinkled her nose.

"What's that going to do?"

Fred explained, "We send it to him saying it's from a dragon and very elite…dung. He'll probably be so excited, he'll believe it and say that it was a gift. May keep it too, bless his heart."

Ella smirked, "That just might work, but that won't reach him until Monday. We need a little something more." It dawned on Ella that she still had a suitcase with Muggle electronics. If the batteries were still working in the alarm clock she had, she could sneak it in Percy's room and set it for some odd hour during the day on Sunday. He'd go nuts trying to find it, then figure out how to make it shut up. "I've got just the idea!"

"And what would that be, Miss. Mischief?" Fred teased.

"Why should I tell you, Mr….Dung?" She bantered back.

He crossed his arms and Ella noticed a glint enter his eyes. She looked at him questioningly before he began moving towards her.

"I think someone could use a hug," he stated. Her eyes widened. Ella went to back away before realizing the gate was in her way.

She put her hands up warningly, "Fred Weasley, don't you dare give me a hug!" He kept smiling at her and Ella inched sideways before trying to make a run for the other end of the garden. She didn't make it two steps before she felt arms wrap around her waist picking her up. Fred spun her around a few times. Ella laughed and yelled for him to set her down until she finally realized what was actually happening and that Fred Weasley had his arms around her waist. He set her down and she turned to face him with her cheeks beginning to turn red. Fred smiled at her warmly. His smile was answered with her small one.

A twig crunched behind them and their heads both snapped in that direction. George huffed out a swear word and Ella suddenly found it nearly impossible to look at Fred. She could see out of the corner of her eye that he wasn't looking at her either. She cleared her throat.

"I think Ginny said something about needing help with cleaning at some point today. I'll go see how she's doing with that," Ella said awkwardly.

Fred swallowed, "Right, and I'll go work on that gnome prank…"

"Right."

"Yes."

Ella went into the house and Fred turned past his brother to find some of the gnomes' hiding spots.

George stood by himself for a minute before sighing, "Damn it, George, you ruined it." He then turned to help his brother form their newest prank.

As she entered the Burrow, Ella had no idea what she could go do. Ginny certainly didn't want or need her help cleaning at the moment. If Mrs. Weasley…Molly…saw her inside without the twins, she'd tell her to go back out and have fun. Ella felt too embarrassed to go back out there right away. Her feelings were clearly displayed on her face and George had been right there. Were she and Fred going to kiss? No, that wouldn't have happened because George was there, and Fred wouldn't have kissed her in front of his twin, would he?

She started walking up the stairs to go to Ginny's room figuring she could at least sit on her bed and maybe read one of the books Ginny owned. Their room was perfect for things like that since Ginny had a window that overlooked the entire yard below. As she climbed the stairs she heard a frustrated sigh.

Ella stopped and turned towards the noise. Part of her believed she should just leave it be, but Ella knew she couldn't do that. She slowly walked down a few steps and knocked on the door in front of her.

"Go away!" Percy yelled. Ella bit her bottom lip before slowly raising her hand and knocking once more. There was the sound of muffled footsteps before the door flung open. "I said to go awa….Ella?"

She blinked a few times trying to get her thoughts back in order, "You sounded frustrated. I wanted to know if I could help. I know a lot about being frustrated." Percy's expression softened and he beckoned her into his room.

Percy's room was exactly what Ella imagined it to be. It was completely clean and orderly, like Percy. Not a single thing was out of place in the small room. Even Hermes's cage, which sat next to Percy's bed, was spotless. The only thing that wasn't orderly was Percy's desk. It was practically buried under parchment and several different cauldrons.

"What are those for?" Ella asked curiously. Percy looked at the cauldrons before sighing.

"My report for Mr. Crouch. There are inconsistencies for thickness in their bottoms, and he wants me to make note of it so we can work on regulating it," Percy explained to her.

Ella inspected what seemed to be average sized cauldrons to her, "Oh…interesting."

"Are you kidding? It's a joke! They're just giving me something to keep me busy. I can hardly tell the difference between the so called shallow bottoms and the thicker bottoms. I graduate Hogwarts at the top of my class and as Head Boy and get a job at the Ministry thinking I can do some good only for them to do this to me. I feel like they don't trust me. Like they think I can't handle anything important!" Percy fumed. Ella had never actually seen Percy this upset. She'd seen him plenty worried, like when Ron said Sirius had been in their Common Room. Percy had been pretty worried about his brother, but nothing bad had happened so Percy didn't really get too frightened. This wasn't fear, though. It was pure frustration –something Percy didn't seem to have much practice in.

Percy moved and sat down in his desk chair, putting his head into his hands. Ella stood for a moment before slowly moving over towards the older boy and gently putting her hand on his shoulder.

"You know, I wasn't trusted with my ability to see the future at first," Ella started. Percy looked at her puzzled. "I didn't realize it was the future until I went to Hogwarts and the professors were worried, especially Dumbledore. They'd just been silly, vivid dreams, sometimes nightmares, until I got my letter and realized that these weren't my imagination –they were real. I was frightened myself with the information that I was given before anyone else feasibly could know about it, but Dumbledore was even more frightened. He warned me that telling people the future could be dangerous. So dangerous it may lead to death in the future. As an eleven year old, I couldn't quite comprehend that, so I blindly feared myself and my ability. I hid the information away from everyone believing that I couldn't be trusted with it, but then I began to get older and I discovered that I could control my power. I had the information, and I knew I could handle whatever it threw at me even if others didn't believe that. I think you can handle the hard hitting facts and even if they don't see it now, they will. You're young and eager. They just haven't seen it yet. If you show them your best, I'm positive they'll give you what you want."

The boy sat for a moment absorbing what she told him. Ella had never really opened up about her dreams and the feelings she had about being afraid of what she could do, but Percy seemed to be someone who might understand it. She'd always looked up to him for being studious and ambitious. He worked hard and received good grades like Ella. When she needed to know something about the wizarding world but was too embarrassed to ask her friends, he was the first person she went to. If Ginny was like her younger sister, than Percy would certainly be her older brother.

"Thank you," Percy whispered. Ella smiled and began to head towards the door. She had almost reached the stairs when she turned around.

"By the way, I think cauldron thickness could be a very pressing matter. People brew dangerous potions after all, and if they break through the bottom of a cauldron, I shudder to think what kind of harm that could cause," she said. Percy's brow furrowed only for a moment before he turned around and began furiously scribbling onto a piece of parchment. Her work was done.

As the days passed by, Ella learned that she fit in marvelously with the Weasley family. She became a regular member of their household between giggling with Ginny, reading whatever book Percy snuck her under the kitchen table, improving herself against Ron in wizard's chess, and creating the inventory for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She even found herself some afternoons helping Molly cook dinner as the mother taught her different family recipes. One of her favorite moments she'd had in her summer at the Burrow, was when she gave her old computer to Mr. Weasley.

It was a Sunday afternoon about a month after she had arrived at the Burrow. In a few days, Bill and Charlie would come home and the Burrow would begin to get cramped. Everyone seemed to have something to do that night –Ron was getting the owls ready to send Harry his birthday cake, Ginny was writing a letter to Luna using Rowena, Percy had his reports, and the twins wanted to perfect their new fake wands. Ella had been in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley putting the icing on Harry's cake while Mr. Weasley talked about the crazy things that had happened at work during the week.

"They're just remarkable, Muggles. They come up with the oddest inventions to make up for not having magic. It's extremely impressive," Mr. Weasley raved.

"That reminds me! I have something for you Mr. Weasley," Ella exclaimed quickly running up the stairs. She still called him Mr. Weasley instead of Arthur. She'd gotten used to calling Mrs. Weasley, Molly, but it still felt too out of place calling Mr. Weasley anything else.

She lugged the heavy thing down the stairs and set it on the table. Mr. Weasley's eyes widened at the piece of technology.

"What on Earth is that?" He asked.

Ella smiled, "It's called a computer. It can keep Muggles entertained for hours with little games and videos that it plays on the screen."

"Videos?"

"Um, little moving pictures of people and things that are recorded then can be repeated at any time," Ella tried to describe. Mr. Weasley didn't appear to comprehend so Ella just continued, "This is one of the most advanced pieces of technology that I think Muggles have made so far. I don't really need it anymore, but I thought you may like it!"

Mr. Weasley's face broke into a giant grin, "Thank you, Ella! I can't wait to look into it and see how it works!" He quickly pulled Ella into a fatherly hug making her smile just as big as his own. Ella woke up the next morning still smiling just as much despite her nightmares.

Each night she was plagued with seeing Voldemort murder the old man, though she now blocked out the vision of Voldemort's body whenever the chair turned around. Ella refused to look at him. Her other reoccurring nightmare began to crop up where she was standing in a daze and the snow around her was stained with blood. Ella hated that dream because it left her stomach spinning and her head dizzy whenever she woke up. She could never remember where she was or how she got there, until five minutes of confusion had past. Sometimes, she'd be standing in front of Ginny's window or sitting on the floor of their room. It was never the same place, but Ella was worried by how disoriented she felt.

A knock sounded on their door during breakfast. All the children exchanged glances with each other. It was a week before the World Cup, which meant Bill and Charlie were due to arrive any day now. Mr. Weasley stood up and went to answer it. He came back with a boy Ella nearly didn't recognize.

Charlie Weasley had certainly changed since Ella had last seen him. Instead of the lanky, pale boy he'd been in his Hogwarts years, he'd transformed into someone Ella wouldn't have any trouble believing worked with dragons for a living. He'd spent so much time in the sun that his freckles nearly formed a tan, and he'd gotten much more muscular. Ella's eyes were drawn to a recent-looking burn on his forearm. He grinned the same broad grin that Ella clearly remembered in her first year.

Mrs. Weasley gave a shout of delight before rushing over to her second oldest, red headed son. Charlie gave his mother a bear hug before looking over everyone in the room. He clapped the twins on the back before giving Percy a handshake. (The twins shook each other's hands before Charlie and Percy had even finished their handshake). Ginny leaped up to her older brother and gave him a big hug. He messed up her hair affectionately before turning to Ella.

"Is that Ella Worthington?" He asked jokingly. "Last time I saw you, you barely reached my chest and had baby fat, what happened?"

"I was eleven, I've grown up since then. Now what happened to you? I recall you left for Romania a scrawny seventeen year old," Ella teased.

Charlie let out a giant belt of laughter, "I suppose I grew up a bit as well! It's good to see you!" He gave her a hug and messed up her hair as he did with Ginny.

Mr. Weasley smiled at his son, "Care for a little breakfast, Charlie?"

"Course, it's one of the things I miss most –mum's cooking," Charlie said. Mrs. Weasley stood up to go get him a plate of eggs. "Is Bill here yet?"

"No, he said he'd show up most likely tonight or tomorrow morning," Fred replied.

Ginny sighed, "At this rate, Hermione will be here before him." Ella laughed knowing that Hermione wouldn't make it to the Burrow until Thursday evening. The three girls had planned a shopping day with Mrs. Weasley on the day before the World Cup. Ella had convinced Molly that it'd be a good time to get dress robes before the Hogwarts letters came to everyone's houses and the good looking, discounted ones were all taken.

As it turned out, Bill did show up that evening, right before dinner. He'd been just as elated to see everyone as Charlie had been. Ella hadn't really known Bill all that well since he'd been out of school by the time she got there, but she had met him during Christmas her first year. He'd liked her well enough then and he was happy to see her now.

"Well, Charlie, you want to go play a quick game of Quidditch before it gets too dark out? I think we've got enough for two teams now with one alternate," Bill mused after dinner finished. Ella and Ginny exchanged looks beside one another.

"You're on! I'll take Ron and you can have both the twins. No need for an alternate, we'll do just fine on our own," Charlie challenged. The boys all hurried out in the yard while Percy rolled his eyes and headed upstairs. The girls sat at the table a moment before heading to their room. For a while the two of them watched the game out the window.

"I don't understand why they never ask us to play with them," Ginny told Ella.

Ella shrugged, "They're boys, they probably think we'd slow them down."

Ginny shook her head and frowned, "I did well on a broom during the lessons I had my first year. I was one of the best."

"Me as well, but I've never really thought about joining the school's team. I like to watch the games there with Lee, but I wouldn't mind playing here. I love the feeling of flying," Ella replied to the younger girl. When the sun finally sunk on the horizon, the boys all came in while Ella and Ginny crawled into bed.

" _Kill the spare!" Voldemort hissed._

" _WHO?" Ella screamed in the swirl of darkness around her. There were blinding flashes of light soaring around her and nothing was making sense. Too many parts of the future were trying to make themselves known._

" _STOP!" She commanded to the different visions and everything stood still for a moment. The scene she paused in was shimmering around her. She was in her dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. Ella smiled at the empty room before turning to see herself in the mirror. She wasn't a fox, but it took her a second to recognize that she was the girl in the mirror. Ella had never cared much about her appearance, the only thing she did to get ready for school was brush her hair and wash her face. The version of herself in the mirror was…elegant. Ella walked a little closer to the reflection bringing a hand up to her cheek making sure that the face she saw in the mirror was actually her own._

 _When she brought her hand away something felt sticky on her fingers. She looked down to see crimson painting the tips of her fingers and the room quickly faded into a woodland area with patches of snow littering the ground. Ella tried lifting her aching head up to see her surroundings, but she couldn't. Her entire body ached and she felt like she was going to throw up._

Ella bolted up in the bed and ran outside of the room and got sick in the nearest toilet. The world was spinning around her and she sat on the floor for a little while to gather her bearings. When she was finally able to stand up, Ella realized that it was still nighttime. Ella assumed it was only about three in the morning, but she didn't want to go back to sleep. She slowly crept into Ginny's room.

"Ginny, Ginny wake up!" She whispered to her friend. Ginny blinked slowly at the girl.

"What time is it?" She mumbled.

Ella shrugged, "Not sure, but no one else is awake."

"Then why are we?"

"Because now is the perfect time for us to go play Quidditch. Come on! Get up and get dressed to go outside," Ella practically begged her. Ginny, suddenly wide awake, followed Ella's lead. The two girls snuck down the stairs and outside of the house.

They got to the shed and found it was padlocked shut. Ella silently pulled out a hair pin and after fiddling with the lock for a moment, the lock fell away from the door. The girls both grabbed a broom. Ella set on the broom and kicked into the night sky feeling the cool air whip her hair around. Ginny did the same beside her. She really was a natural. The two of them flew around the Burrow for a while diving and spinning through the air with skill. Ella felt her stomach drop and spin for a much different reason than her nightmares caused. She felt free soaring through the air on a broomstick. The look on Ginny's face made their midnight ride feel worth it as she smiled from ear to ear.

The girls finally sat side by side about ten feet off the ground out of breath. They looked at each other and their fly away hair before laughing at the whole situation.

"Look up," Ginny told Ella, and she did only to be amazed by what she saw. Millions of stars speckled the night sky in gorgeous clusters. The entire sky seemed to be lit up just for the two of them that night. Ella smiled at Ginny.

"It's beautiful," she gushed.

Ginny smiled while still looking at the sky all around her, "It really is. Thanks for bringing me out here. I'm so glad you're my friend."

Ella shook her head, "I'm glad you're my sister." Ginny's beam was brighter than all the stars in the sky.

"Me too."

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 **A/N: Wow! These chapters keep getting longer, not that it's a bad thing. This chapter was a lot of fluff, but I'd still love to hear your reactions! I also would like to know if you'd like me to respond to your reviews in the Author's Note section at the end of each chapter. I've seen it done in other fics and wondered if that'd be something you'd like. I also want to say that if any of you are artists and would like to draw scenes from Ella's story that have happened or you think will happen, I'd love to see them! :) Thanks and hope you enjoyed the chapter! Your support means the world to me!**


	4. Chapter 4: Back to the Burrow

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series.**

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Back to the Burrow

The Burrow found itself awake at an ungodly hour on Sunday morning. The only ones who were ready for the rude awakening were Ginny, Ella, and Hermione. Since Bill and Charlie arrived, the twins had been sharing a room with Ron. Friday morning, the three girls were woken up by a screeching Pigwidgeon who was chasing two more exotic birds that Bill and Charlie created. The three girls had escaped the room without too much trouble, and Mr. Weasley dealt with the conjured birds. The boys were in fits of laughter due to the feathers in the girls' hair and the bird poo that had fallen on Ginny's clothes. At that moment, Ella and Ginny had plotted the perfect revenge. Hermione didn't want any part of it, but she wasn't going to stop it.

Both of the girls decided to take a Muggle route. Ella had two alarms in her bag and as it turned out, their batteries did work. She hadn't told the twins about her previous idea to prank Percy because of the embarrassing near kiss she'd had with Fred. Now Ella and Ginny had snuck one of the set alarms in Ron's room and the other in the twin's room. All the boys except for Percy were about to learn why they shouldn't mess with the girls. Not only were the hiding spots ingenious, but Ella's alarms didn't quite work right. The off button didn't work, so to get the shrill noise to stop, one had to hold down the snooze button for at least twenty seconds –there was no way the boys would figure that out.

"Where is the noise coming from?" Ella heard Bill yell above Ginny's room. The two girls were sniggering while Hermione continued to sleep. She'd opted for earplugs instead of the four o'clock wake up. Nearly the entire house was buzzing with panic at the blaring devices. The twins and Ron had found their clock and were in the stairway. Ella could hear the beeping getting closer to their room. Ginny and Ella barricaded the door before going to bed with a dresser.

"Open up!" The boys shouted pounding on the door. "Make this bloody thing stop!"

Mr. Weasley's voice joined the mix, "Boys! What on Earth are you all doing?"

"The girls put these in our rooms and we can't get them to shut up!" Ella heard Ron groan over the alarm.

"Really? How fascinating!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed and Ella doubled over in laughter.

Fred's voice rang out next, "Can't you hear them laughing in there? They did this on purpose so we wouldn't be able to sleep!"

His father scoffed, "And I suppose those birds just randomly were found in their room? You boys brought this on yourselves." There was an overwhelming surge from the boys about whose fault this whole situation was. Ella and Ginny felt very satisfied with the entire escapade. The boys had certainly learned their lesson about messing with the girls.

"Maybe we could just smash it against the wall!" Ron shouted.

"You'll do no such thing," Mr. Weasley said. Ella doubled over in a fit of laughter and Ginny fell off her bed onto the mattress Ella was currently laying on. Leave it to Mr. Weasley to protect a Muggle object that was slowly driving them insane. After more bickering insured, the girls felt like they'd been punished enough.

"Hold down the button that says Snooze!" Ella told the boys through the closed door. There was silence for a moment only disrupted by the alarms until finally the beeping died off. There was a shuffling that indicated everyone going back to bed. Ella and Ginny grinned one last time at each other before going to bed.

In the morning, Ginny and Ella got dressed and headed down towards the kitchen. They were surely going to get an earful from the boys, but they couldn't bring themselves to care. Hermione followed behind them being the only one in the house to get a full night's rest. She hadn't even asked in the morning whether their plan had worked. Ginny and Ella's tired yet triumphant expressions told Hermione everything she needed to know.

"I'm not sure whether to be extremely proud, or very upset," George grumbled as the girls walked in. Ella just grinned.

"Maybe you shouldn't have taught us so well. All the pranks I've helped you with gave me the wits to be able to prank the masters of mischief," she explained.

Fred laughed, "Oh please, you had enough wits to prank us before you'd even met us. You just didn't have a reason to until we gave it to you."

"Shouldn't have given us a reason then," Ginny told him with a grin. Behind the paper he was reading, Mr. Weasley rolled his eyes.

"We'll leave around one in the afternoon for Diagon Alley, girls," Mrs. Weasley said as she spooned scrambled eggs on everyone's plate.

Hermione smiled, "Oh good! I was hoping to show Crookshanks the gnomes Ginny and Ella had been telling me about. I've only read about them and he's certainly never seen them."

Ginny replied, "I can show you where they're hiding. I know all of the places they typically like to go and I'm sure Crookshanks can help us find the others. Oh, they're going to love having a cat around. They'll think it's funny."

When they had finished eating, Ginny and Hermione took the ginger cat outside, but Fred and George snatched Ella before she could follow them. Ella didn't quite mind though. The gnomes were funny but they didn't really like her. Every time she had wandered into the garden that summer, they chose to bite at her, and as much as Ella adored having their sharp little teeth sink into her leg…well, she actually didn't.

The twins entered their room and both flopped onto their beds. Now that Bill and Charlie were up and about, Fred and George were welcome to use their room however they pleased. Ella sat down on the edge of George's bed and waited for one of them to start talking. Ella really liked their room. They had a few posters of Quidditch teams, but the main thing Ella loved was all of the weird, half-created inventions they had strewn about the place. She could name some of the items, like their trick wands, but there were things she doubted they even knew what they were supposed to do.

"I don't understand why you girls are going shopping. They're just dress robes, can't mum get you them tomorrow?" Fred asked Ella.

She shrugged, "Dresses are difficult to account for. The sizes can be all different and fit people differently. I told your mum this and she agreed that it was best we get them now."

"But you should go get Harry with us, it'll be such fun," Fred replied mischievously.

"You know I can't do that. The last time the Dursleys and I were under the same roof it was an utter disaster. I only lasted a couple of hours," Ella reminded the boys before turning towards Fred. "And what on Earth do you mean it'll be fun? What are the two of you planning?"

The boys exchanged glances before George pulled out something that resembled taffy, "Our newest invention –Ton-Tongue Toffee. We've been working on perfecting it for half the summer, and we developed our first prototypes during the school year. We believe we've finally got the perfect concoction!"

"So what does this have to do with anything?"

"You don't see it? Dudley Dursley, according to Harry, has been on a strict diet for all of the summer!"

"Kid must be dying for something sweet."

"We thought that instead of subjecting you, Ginny, or Ron to something like this…"

"…You'd make a nice guinea pig out of Harry's cousin," Ella finished for the twins. They both nodded. "Brilliant."

Fred grinned, "Of course it is, we came up with it."

Ella tried to keep her expression business like, "So what does this toffee do then?"

"Well," George began, "It's kind of what the name says. It makes your tongue grow quite large."

"Highly unpleasant looking, believe us. It's the reason we brewed so many shrinking potions before leaving Hogwarts. It'd hardly help our case with mum if we ended up in the hospital testing out our new inventions," Fred explained to her. Ella had to admit they had a point. The two of them had only come to truly accept the idea of creating their business last year. They'd been worried about how successful they'd be and confessed to Ella just how frightened they were that everything would fail. Ella didn't believe they'd fail though. She had complete and utter faith in them.

She looked between the two of them before saying, "I think you should go for it, but I don't need to look into the future to tell you there will be consequences."

The boys scoffed, "Aren't there always? I say it's worth it to get back at the prat for all he's done to Harry throughout the years." Fred sounded completely earnest about this being more to help Harry out than test the product one final time.

Ella observed the prank candy one last time before tossing it back to George, "It does look delicious. I'd imagine anyone would try to eat it, especially if their some deprived boy who hasn't tasted sweets in months. He'll eat it before anyone has even noticed." She smirked at the boys who merely grinned back.

"Thanks, we worked hard to make it believable. Stared at these for hours," Fred told her as he pulled out a giant jar of regular toffee. The Ton-Tongue Toffees were perfect replicas of the candy in the jar. He put it back under his bed.

Around lunchtime, Mrs. Weasley took the girls to go to Diagon Alley. They all put on cloaks and got ready to use Floo Powder in order to travel. It wasn't Ella's favorite way to get around, but it certainly beat the Tube. She kept her mouth closed as the fireplace spun her about. She was covered in soot when she stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, but Mrs. Weasley came prepared with a brush so the girls could clean up before trying on dresses.

"Alright girls, the first thing to do is find something for the boys," Mrs. Weasley told them after getting some money out of both the Weasley account and Ella's. She insisted she'd buy all of Harry's things at once when they were at the World Cup. Hermione exchanged her money at the counter with one of the goblins. Ella felt a little odd not doing that herself. It was surreal to have her own account in Gringotts instead of needing to exchange Muggle money. She almost felt a sense of belonging from having her own account –even her money belonged to this world now.

After getting the money they needed, Mrs. Weasley led them to a shop that specialized in new and used dress robes. Ella was surprised to see many pretty dresses like the ones she'd seen in the Muggle dress shop, but she was especially excited that her dress was nowhere to be found in the store. Ella didn't want to have someone else wear the same dress. She knew it was petty, but she really wanted to not blend into the crowd for once.

Their first task was to find robes for Fred, George, and Ron. They'd need something in their size and with their height it wasn't going to be a walk in the park to find. The girls split up to search some bins. They weren't having much luck. Most of them were meant for younger children or older men. Ella found a vivid lavender dress robe that smelled of mothballs and seemed like it would fit both the twins at once.

"I've got something!" Ginny cried out to the others across the store. When Ella got over to her, she saw that Ginny was holding two matching black dress robes. They looked more normal than anything else Ella had seen.

Mrs. Weasley inspected the material closely, "They're in extremely good condition, and just the right size for the boys."

"And black will match any color," Ella interjected. Molly nodded and kept the two of them.

"I suppose that will have to do for today. I'll have to get Ron's dress robe when I come for Harry's. Now let's get you girls some dresses," Mrs. Weasley told them. Ginny and Hermione practically ran towards the side of the store meant for girls. Ginny was more there just for the fun of trying on dresses. Mrs. Weasley had already broke the news that she wouldn't be needing dress robes, but Ella saw otherwise. Deep down, she knew that Ginny would be attending the Yule Ball, she just didn't know who would be asking her.

First, Hermione tried on a frilly pink dress that certainly did nothing to flatter her. Ella wrinkled her nose and Ginny shook her head so vigorously, Ella thought it would pop off. Ginny's first attempt was a green dress that made the girls think of leprechauns –certainly not ideal. Ella was badgered into trying on a magenta dress that threated to drop if she moved her arms from her side, which would be disastrous on the dance floor.

There were several more attempts where the girls tried picking out the own dresses only to find that it was an awful fit for them. Ella sighed and sank into a chair beside the other two girls. Mrs. Weasley stood in front of them with her arms crossed. She had a determined look on her face that Ella had seen many times on the twins.

"Now that you girls have got that out of your systems, let me try," she told them. Before they could say a word, she disappeared into the store in search of dresses for the girls. It took nearly fifteen minutes for Mrs. Weasley to return. She had each of the girls close their eyes and put the dresses she had chosen in the dressing rooms the girls had been using. Ella entered her dressing room and slowly tried on the dress. It was a plain white with some silver and gold beading towards the bottom. Ella looked at herself in the mirror.

"What do you think?" She asked.

The mirror didn't miss a beat, "Heavenly, darling."

Ella nodded, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She walked outside the room only to be met with a gasp from Mrs. Weasley. In a matter of seconds, the woman was next to her cooing about how angelic she looked. Ella found herself blushing furiously, but despite all the compliments she still liked her other dress much better. Hermione was the next out and her face was flushed with surprise and delight.

"I love it, Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione said excitedly. Ella couldn't help but smile at the girl's happiness. The periwinkle dress did fit her extremely well and the flowy material just seemed like the perfect fit.

"It suits you perfectly," Ella told her. Hermione's cheeks turned as red as Mrs. Weasley's hair.

Ginny was the last one out of the dressing room and Ella couldn't believe what she was seeing. For the last few years, Ella had been looking at Ginny as though she were still the nine year old she'd first met –her little sister. But Ginny was growing up just like the rest of them, and she was stunning.

"What do you all think?" She asked hesitantly. Mrs. Weasley's eyes filled with tears as she rushed to give her daughter a hug.

"You look so grown up!" Molly cried as she hugged her youngest child. Ella smiled and her resolve grew. She had to buy Ginny the beautiful sky blue dress she was wearing. It fit her like a glove and Ella could see how much it pained her little sister to take the dress off and put it back on the shelf.

As Mrs. Weasley focused on paying for the boys' dress robes, Ella grabbed Ginny's dress and quickly paid for it before anyone could see that she switched the two. Ginny's mood didn't seem to dampen too much at not getting the dress, but the girls quickly made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron to get back to the Burrow. It was late in the afternoon and if Ella was right, the boys should have headed to get Harry by this time.

When Ella's feet were firmly planted back in the Burrow, she looked around to see Bill and Charlie sitting in the little kitchen where the fireplace was located. Percy was nowhere in sight, but she assumed he was in his room working on his report. Apparently, once Ella gave him the idea it was important, he took the idea and ran with it. Ella was both thrilled and annoyed by Percy's newfound obsession with cauldron bottoms. He was happy, which was great, but no one wanted to listen to him talk about cauldrons and Mr. Crouch as much as he was determined to talk about them. Even Ella could hardly stomach the conversations he'd try having at dinner –though she still did out of politeness.

"Did they leave too long ago?" Ella asked the boys.

Bill shrugged, "A few minutes. They were running late, but I don't think any of us should be too surprised."

Ella nodded and wondered how Fred and George planned on getting Dudley the toffee. They could hardly walk up and hand it to him. The boy looked completely daft, but Ella doubted he'd be that crazy. Besides, his parents weren't likely to let him eat anything the Weasleys gave him.

" _Accio!" Mrs. Weasley yelled and some of the Toffees flew out of George's pocket. "We told you to destroy them!" Ella couldn't help but wince. She knew how long the boys sent and it was easy to see that they would not be happy to lose their hard work._

 _Without moving a muscle Ella stopped the vision. She watched as all of the toffees froze in midair. The twins had tried smuggling them out in any way they could imagine. Just from what she could see, it looked like they were wearing more toffee than clothes._

 _She sighed. This wouldn't do at all._

"Ella? Are you alright?"

 _Bill's voice drifted across the scene reminding Ella she was actually standing in the kitchen of the Burrow, not in this moment. She looked over the scene once more before telling it to go away._

"Sorry, I was seeing something," Ella said.

Bill and Charlie both gave her confused looks before Charlie's face lit up. She knew before he opened his mouth what he was going to tell her.

"You were having a vision!" He nearly shouted.

Ella rolled her eyes, "What else would I be seeing so intently? The furniture?"

Bill looked between the two before saying, "I'm sorry, vision? What do you guys mean by a vision?"

"Wait, did no one tell you?" Ella questioned him. "I thought everyone told you a little bit about me?"

"Yes, Mum thought you were sweet, Charlie said you made a good friend for the twins, Percy said you were smart, and the twins raved about how you helped with their pranks. Visions were not included in the mix. So what are you talking about?" Bill asked. For a moment, Ella's heart swelled with even more love for the people she called her family. Not only did they love her for who she is, but when they were describing her to Bill, they never even thought to mention her abilities. Ella had always been a person to the Weasleys not someone with power, but just an average witch. Just Ella.

"When I was little, I used to dream about a castle and these magical people in it. I dreamt of a world with broomsticks and trolls where there were good people that welcomed me and people that scared me. It wasn't until I was eleven and given my Hogwarts letter that I discovered everything I had seen in my dreams was actually reality. I knew Ginny and Ron by name before I'd even been introduced with them. I got on the Hogwarts Express knowing the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team for the next year without knowing how the game itself worked. There are things I don't know, but I know more than anyone should about many different events that haven't come to pass yet," Ella explained to Bill. He gaped at her in shock.

Charlie looked at Ella questioningly, "But when you were eleven, you could only see the future through your dreams. You said you just saw something while standing there…awake."

Ella smiled shyly, "Like most people's magical abilities, my Seer abilities have grown as I got older. I don't need to be asleep to get a vision."

"That's amazing," Bill whispered.

Ella shifted uncomfortably, "I guess it is, but I need to go take care of something upstairs. Be back in a moment."

She ran up to Fred and George's room. Ella had to think fast otherwise the twins would be back and probably forced to destroy most of the Ton-Tongue Toffees like Mrs. Weasley said they did in her vision. Ella would have told the boys her plan, and they probably would've imagined it was perfect. She couldn't do it though. Bringing the twins into her devious idea would lose a powerful element in keeping Mrs. Weasley from knowing the toffees were still around –their expressions. They can feign innocence about as well as a rabid dog. Molly would know she was being tricked almost immediately. Ella pulled out the bag where the perfected candies were and dumped them on Fred's bed. She then pulled out their jar of actual toffees and proceeded to swap the places of them both.

Without a second thought, Ella ran back downstairs and waited for the boys to arrive at the Burrow. She managed to get there without a moment to spare. Fred was entering the room with a massive grin stretched across his face. Then George came through the flames and Ron behind him. Whether or not they were ready for it, the Dursleys were getting pranked.

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 **A/N: What'd you think? Some more fluff really, I think there will be a few more chapters that are light, but as we all know, Goblet of Fire is where things begin to get darker, Ella's story is no different! :) Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series! Enjoy! :)**

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Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

"And now we wait!" Fred said clapping his hands together. His older brothers laughed from the table they were sitting. Ron and George joined the two other Weasleys. Ella leaned against the table and couldn't help but smile at the idea of the scene going on far away from the little kitchen. If she just closed her eyes…she wondered…could she?

 _Dudley was kneeling on the floor –he looked just as large as he had at Christmas time. Ella nearly gagged at the sight of the foot-long, purple tongue that was protruding from his mouth. Ella spotted the Ton-Tongue Toffee wrapper lying beside the boy. Just as the twins predicted, he couldn't resist the temptation of a sweet sitting on the floor._

 _Ella wished away the sounds in the room in an attempt to not go deaf, but it was easy to see that the place was going absolutely mad. Vernon Dursley was as purple as Dudley's tongue from bellowing and Petunia was on the floor trying to tug the tongue out of her son's mouth. Ella snorted. Yanking the tongue out was really the opposite way to go about a situation like this. Honestly, if they were really as rational as they proclaimed themselves to be, they would've remained calm in a situation like this. Yelling, screaming, and crying hardly solved anything of this sort, but here they were doing exactly that._

 _Mr. Weasley, all the while, was doing his best to calm the family down, but he was failing miserably. Ella watched the man duck as Vernon threw a china figure at him. It was a rather unnecessary gesture, but it wasn't the first time a "rational" man had resorted to throwing things at a wizard. Ella's father had nearly taken off Snape's head with a vase when he came to take her to Diagon Alley. Nowadays, Ella wouldn't have minded so much if the vase hit its mark, but she was sure Snape had a reason for being an utter git to everyone. She didn't know what that was, but he couldn't just be a horrible person…probably. Arthur Weasley turned and gestured for Harry to leave through the fireplace._

Ella opened her eyes to see Harry entering into the kitchen. She glanced over towards Fred who was standing next to her and staring at her with a look of curiosity. All she could do was grin at him and inconspicuously gesture towards Harry. His eyes flashed mischievously understanding what Ella meant. His plan had worked.

Fred moved over towards Harry to help him up while asking, "Did he eat it?" Ella rolled her eyes. She practically told him just moments before that he had, but she couldn't blame him for needing a physical eye witness account of the situation.

Harry fully stood up, "Yeah, what _was_ that?"

Never missing a chance to explain a product, Fred replied, "Ton-Tongue Toffee. George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer…" Everyone started laughing including Ella. A good prank was to be appreciated among the people in the kitchen. Harry seemed delighted that the twins had chosen his brutish cousin for their test subject. Ella couldn't have agreed more. Bill and Charlie quickly introduced themselves to Harry seeing as he'd never met the two oldest Weasley boys.

A popping noise drew the kitchen's attention to the fireplace and Mr. Weasley. He looked furious. Almost as angry as he had when he took Ella away from her home for the last time, but this was a father's anger, not a disappointed anger.

"That wasn't funny, Fred!" He shouted. Ella felt herself shrinking back. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"

Fred grinned evilly and Ella felt her heart flutter slightly. She couldn't help that he looked very attractive doing so.

"I didn't give him anything. I just dropped it… It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to," Fred insisted. Ella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That excuse was practically transparent. Mr. Weasley would never buy it.

He proved her right as he bellowed, "You dropped it on purpose! You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet!"

"How big did it get?" George questioned his father. This time Ella softly groaned to not draw attention to herself. The two of them were asking for punishment at this point.

Mr. Weasley sighed, "It was four feet in length before his parents would let me shrink it!" Ella, Harry, and the rest of the kitchen erupted in fits of laughter. " _It isn't funny!_ " Mr. Weasley shouted silencing them all. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons–"

Fred huffed, "We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!"

"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," George finished for his brother. "Isn't he, Harry?"

"Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," Harry told the adult with complete honestly. Ella would vouch for this as well, but she kept her mouth shut. Last thing she needed to do was add fuel to the fire.

Mr. Weasley stormed, "That's not the point! You wait until I tell your mother –"

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Weasley asked suspiciously. Ella's eyes widened at her sudden appearance. "Oh hello, Harry, dear," she told the boy before turning back to her husband, "Tell me what, Arthur?" Ginny and Hermione both appeared from behind Mrs. Weasley. They grinned at Harry who returned the action.

"It's nothing, Molly. Fred and George just –but I've had words with them…" Mr. Weasley stammered.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes narrowed even further, "What have they done this time? If it's got anything to do with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes…"

Hermione quickly got Harry, Ron, Ginny, and herself out of the argument. George tried getting him and Fred out of it, but Molly wasn't letting the two of them slip away so easily. Ella sat and winced for a moment or two as Mrs. Weasley told the twins that they'd better shape up if they wanted to make it in life. She told them to destroy the sweets and that this funny business was cute when they were young, but they needed to focus on the real world now that they were nearing the end of their time at Hogwarts. Bill and Charlie pulled her out of there as soon as she brought up their O.W.L.s and how they needed to set a good example for Ella.

"Thanks, I really didn't want to be brought into that," Ella told Charlie when they got outside the house.

He scoffed, "That was nothing, should've heard the yelling I got when I decided to work with dragons. Instead of bringing up one person she brought up every younger sibling I had. You think she'd be thrilled their showing initiative in something. It may be pranking supplies, but it's brilliant stuff."

"That's what I tell them," Ella said. "They really believe in this shop they want."

Charlie nodded, "And that's what matters. Mum always comes around in the end. She loves all of us too much to let our career choices get in the way. If we were to all follow the path she wanted us to, we'd be in the Ministry studying cauldrons and the like." Ella laughed.

The twins came out of the house looking rather sullen about the whole situation. Ella went over to them and threw her arms around them both.

"You know that we all believe in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She'll come around even if she's not on board now," Ella whispered to them. They both smiled at her encouragement.

Bill called out, "Now that we've gotten that out of the way… It's time for table wars!" Both Bill and Charlie took control of one of the tables that had been sitting outside for dinner. They rose into the air and began circling each other as if deciphering what the other's first move would be. Ella and the twins cheered on the fight and Ginny began giggling as soon as she and Hermione had gotten outside.

Ella could see the fight was really heating up. Bill's table was a fierce contender, but Charlie's held the upper hand currently. Hermione seemed slightly amused but also very worried about the tables getting broken or someone getting hurt. Ella, on the other hand, was wholly wrapped up in the battle. Bill's table swooped towards Charlie's creating a loud bang. One of the table's legs fell to the ground.

"Will you keep it down?!" Percy yelled, sticking his head out the window. Ella tried to stifle her grin, but it was a lost cause. No one else seemed to care too much about the disruption either.

Bill responded, "Sorry, Perce. How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"

Percy frowned at them, "Very badly." And with that, he slammed his window shut. The older boys just laughed and brought the tables back to the ground. Bill quickly repaired Charlie's broken table before conjuring tablecloths.

"So how was your break, then?" Ella asked Harry as the rest of the Weasley moved about to set the table.

Harry shrugged, "Fine I guess. As you probably heard, I got put on that diet I really needed."

"Oh, that's what's different about you. I thought you looked a bit more in shape. Now you only need slight breeze to carry you off. How sweet of your aunt and uncle." Ella said sarcasm dripping off of each word. The two laughed like they did in Diagon Alley the year before. They had run into each other outside of the ice cream shop while Ella was looking for supplies. They spent the better part of the afternoon joking about Harry's ballooned aunt Marge and other things like that. She didn't really know Harry that well, but Ella was glad she was able to joke with him and say he was a friend of hers.

Soon enough, everyone was gathered under sky to eat one of Mrs. Weasley wonderful meals. Ella believed she went all out with this one because Harry arrived. He must be famished after being on a completely unnecessary diet for the summer. It was slightly noticeable in the way he practically devoured anything that was put near him. Granted, most of the boys at the table were the same way even though they were well fed on a daily basis.

"You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a week now…" Ella heard Percy say beside her. She had been listening to Fred and George, who were on her other side, for a little while as they discussed smuggling their inventory out. She wasn't paying too much attention as they discussed the various hiding places to use, but Bertha Jorkins certainly caught her attention. Voldemort had been mentioning her in the dream she kept having. If she'd gone missing…well, Ella feared the dream might not have been the future anymore. Could this woman already be dead?

"As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup. _You_ know the one I'm talking about, Father. The top-secret one," Percy started speaking loudly so all the Hogwarts students would hear. Fred and George both glared at Percy before turning back to talk Quidditch with Charlie, but Ella merely grinned.

"You might want to _try_ …to keep your voice down, Percy. Someone might make a tournament out of figuring out what you're talking about," she teased. Percy scowled.

"That's no fair! You can see the future, I actually was trusted with this information!" He told her. Ella simply shrugged her shoulders and turned to listen to the Quidditch talk. Charlie was explaining what happened with England's team earlier in the season.

"I still think that Ireland's got it," Fred told George and Ella. George nodded vigorously.

Ella bit her lip, "If that's what you think…"

"I'd bet money on it," George said. "Krum is too good to be beaten." Ella chuckled since it was true. Krum would catch the Snitch, he couldn't be beaten, but the Bulgarian team could be.

" _Our savings went to him. I can't believe we lost our savings!"_

Ella looked at Fred startled. He was still talking with George about the teams though. He hadn't said anything like what Ella had just heard him say. George said they'd bet…if they did bet their savings on Bulgaria, they were going to lose. Of course, it was impossible for them to guess the actual outcome. They should bet in the first place, it was wrong of them, but she couldn't let them lose their savings. The only way they'd be able to open their shop would be if they saved every bit of money they had. This could be a way to get money quick, but it was also a sure fire way to lose it all. Her abilities were not meant for a petty thing like gambling, but she couldn't allow her friends to lose their money.

"Are you two actually planning on betting?" She hesitantly asked.

"Of course!" Fred told her.

George added, "We could double what we've already got if we bet correctly. With Krum on the team, it's hands down Bulgaria."

Ella shook her head, "You shouldn't bet. You'll lose it all."

"No we won't," George argued.

She heaved and exasperated sigh, "Are you kidding me? You're going to argue with the girl who can see the future about the outcome of the match? Are you an idiot? I'm telling you that if you gamble you'll lose it all."

"If you're so worried about us, why don't you tell us which team will win?" Fred said.

"Fine, Ireland wins. Krum gets the Snitch. I'm telling you not to bet, though. Betting won't do you any good," Ella warned them, but the glint in their eyes said they wouldn't be listening to her. She sighed and hoped that nothing bad would happen if they did manage to bet. Ella had a sinking suspicion that things were destined to go sour for the boys if they bet, not that they'd listen to her about that.

Ella sat and looked at the sky as it transformed from blue into inky black. An unsettling feeling had descended into her stomach. Her shoulders felt heavy from some unknown pressure. Everyone else looked so happy and at peace, Ella couldn't bring herself to acknowledge the foreboding feeling she had welling up inside her.

"Look at the time. You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you –you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup," Mrs. Weasley told the group. She then turned to Harry and asked him to leave his list out for school supplies since she's be going back to Diagon Alley to get the other supplies. "There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."

Ella and Harry's eyes widened. Neither of them had been told that.

"Wow –I hope it does this time!" Harry exclaimed.

Percy looked flabbergasted at the mere mention of such a thing, "Well, I certainly don't. I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days!"

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" Fred teased.

"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway! It was nothing personal!" Percy said as his face grew red. Ella barely was able to keep herself composed.

She heard Fred whisper to Harry, "It was… We sent it." Ella, Ginny, the twins, Ron, Harry, and Hermione headed inside. Bill, Charlie, and Percy stayed outside to help clean up. The twins snuck off to undoubtedly grab the candy they were going to sneak out the next day. Ella followed the girls to their room. Ella had volunteered her bed to Hermione and currently was sleeping on the floor with a spare mattress the Weasley's had found. As she rested her head on her pillow, Ella certainly didn't feel like waking up at dawn.

 _Ella stood in a clearing as the wind whipped around her. While hours before it had been a hot July evening, it now felt like winter was about to fully take over. Trees stood around her giving her the impression that she was in a forest of some kind. Dead leaves were spun about by the biting air. Ella shivered with the cold. No one was around, but she felt a sense of foreboding sinking around her. Something was very wrong with everything in this scene._

 _Where was she? Forests tended to look similar, but there had to be some indicator as to where she was. Ella turned in a circle to see if there was anything within eyesight. A billow of smoke alerted her to there being something close by. Maybe a campfire or a small cabin? She couldn't be sure. Despite the numb feeling in her fingers and her stinging cheeks, Ella felt like every fiber of her being wanted to stay away from that billow of smoke, but why?_

" _Ow!" Ella cried out. She grabbed at her forearm as a white-hot pain seared across it. Before she could inspect it, the atmosphere changed. It became darker._

" _Harry Potter must not tell lies."_

" _He's back! He's back!"_

" _Shut up!" Ella screamed. The wind died immediately._

" _Ella…" a voice called out to her. She froze on the spot. Ella couldn't bring herself to turn around. It could never be a good sign that Voldemort was calling out her name. "Won't you even acknowledge me, Ella? Or are you frightened of me?"_

 _She turned around to see there was no one there._

" _Where are you?"_

" _I'm here and I'm there. Even in your mind I'm unable to take my true form," Voldemort hissed._

 _Ella's eye narrowed, "So you're really that weak? How pathetic."_

 _Voldemort growled, "I gain in strength every day. Soon I will be strong enough to come back to my true form."_

" _I see your rat has been doing his job then?" Ella spat._

 _The man let out a cruel laugh, "What's wrong with Wormtail? You sound almost as hateful about him as you do me."_

" _Pardon me if I refuse to have a shred of respect for a man who sold out two of his closest friends and, as it would appear, me. My lack of love for that thing is warranted!"_

" _Join me, Ella," Voldemort cooed. "Come to me and together, we can grow stronger than any other witch or wizard in the world. From what my servant has described, you're tired of not being able to control the future. I could help you shape the future."_

" _Right, shape it in a way that is consumed by murder and prejudice! I will never join you in a million years. You cannot convince me," Ella stormed. Pain erupted across her body._

" _You will give me what I want! One way or another!"_

 _She yelled, "GET OUT OF MY MIND, YOU SNAKE!"_

Ella opened her eyes to see that she wasn't in Ginny's room anymore. She looked around and saw that she was several meters outside of the Burrow. Her stomach clenched and she felt consumed by panic.

She had been sleep walking.

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 **A/N: Dun, Dun, DUN. I hope you liked the chapter and keep up the follows and reviews! I love every one of them! :) You all rock!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Portkey

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series. Everything but Ella belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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The Portkey

Instead of going back to bed and potentially reopening her mind to Voldemort, Ella made her way to the kitchen. In her opinion, it was better to be tired at the World Cup than reveal the future to one of the most powerful wizards on the face of the planet. Ella sat by herself for nearly thirty minutes before Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen to make breakfast.

"Ella! What are you doing awake at this hour? You should be in bed for as long as you can," she fretted. The girl merely gave a tired smile.

"Sorry, I just couldn't sleep, I'm so excited to see the game that it kept me awake. I've never seen an international team play –only the school ones."

Mrs. Weasley looked at her suspiciously, "While that's likely, I don't believe it for a minute. Why are you actually awake?"

Ella frowned, "I…had a nightmare. It was nothing pressing though, I just didn't quite feel like going back to bed. The last thing I want is for Ginny or Hermione to get less sleep because of me."

Her mother gave her a giant hug, "Why don't we work on breakfast together?" Ella felt exhausted and didn't really want to focus on making food, but the look on Mrs. Weasley's face made her keep that information to herself. She couldn't disappoint the woman.

The porridge was nearly ready when Mr. Weasley made it downstairs to pick up the newspaper an owl had brought them. He mumbled his good morning before diving into the contents of the paper –Ella assumed that it'd be full of coverage over the World Cup.

"Keep stirring the porridge, Ella dear. I'm going to go wake up the rest of them," Molly told her before rushing upstairs. Ella sighed and kept turning the contents of the pot. Her stomach turned at the idea of eating, but Ella knew she'd need to. Who knew when they'd eat next? It'd be better to just make her eat something now instead of being tired and hungry later.

Before Ella knew it, Mrs. Weasley was back in the kitchen and shooing her towards the girls' room to get dressed. Ella got to the room and noticed that neither Ginny nor Hermione were awake just yet. Ella rolled her eyes and grabbed a Muggle outfit from her trunk.

"Come on, you lot," Ella coaxed. "Rise and shine! If you don't start waking up soon, we'll leave you." Ella had just pulled her shirt on when a pillow connected with the back of her head. She turned to see Hermione pulling herself out of bed while Ginny was now lying with her head fully under the covers. It didn't go unnoticed to Ella that the red head's pillow was now gone. She picked up the pillow and threw it back at Ginny who merely grunted before rolling back over.

Ella made her way over to the end of Ginny's bed and grabbed the sheets. With a powerful yank, the young girl found herself on the floor of the room with a slight thump.

"Hey!" Ginny cried out. It would've been more threatening had she not yawned immediately after.

"You brought it on yourself. Now get ready before your mum comes up and forces you downstairs in worse ways than I can manage. Remember, she has a wand and I don't. I'm going back down before breakfast gets cold. Hermione, if she tries going back to sleep…well, stop her," Ella said before disappearing from the room and descending the stairs.

She returned to the kitchen in the midst of the Weasley's explaining Apparating to Harry. Mrs. Weasley spooned a large helping of porridge into a bowl and slid it to Ella. She slowly ate the food trying not to be too quick. The last thing she needed was to test her already aching stomach.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny asked still rubbing her eyes. The two girls had just appeared in the room looking like they were ready to blend in with Muggles. Hermione didn't seem to be much more awake than Ginny, but Ella was just glad the two of them managed to get up and dressed.

Mr. Weasley replied, "We've got a bit of a walk." Harry looked positively startled by the news. It was clear that he hadn't been debriefed about how they were going to the camp ground.

"Walk? What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

"No, no that's miles away," Mr. Weasley assured the boy. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the World Cup–"

"George!" Mrs. Weasley shouted causing everyone to jump. Ella was just taking her last bite of porridge and started coughing. Hermione hit her on the back until she could drink enough water for her irritated throat to calm down.

The twin froze on the spot and tried to sound innocent, "What?" Ella felt like banging her head on the table right there. For some of the best pranksters Hogwarts had seen since the Marauders, they really needed to learn how to act. Ella could play innocent to her advantage, but the twins certainly had passed being able to do that. They needed a new trick.

"What's in your pocket?"

"Nothing!"

Mrs. Weasley looked furious, "Don't lie to me! _Accio!"_ A dozen toffees went spiraling out of George's pocket and into her hand. George lunged for them, but the spell insured that he would not be taking them. "We told you to destroy them! We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!"

No one spoke as Mrs. Weasley took the candies away from the twins. Ella felt bad about the whole thing. They seemed genuinely upset by the action, and for good reason too. She could only hope they didn't say anything too drastic before she could reveal that all their hard work was still safely packed under Fred's bed.

Fred, who seemed completely devastated, yelled, "We spent six months developing those!" Ella winced at his tone. She wanted to give him a hug but knew this wasn't the right time to attempt that.

The mother seemed to only get more upset after learning how much time the boys spent on them, "Oh a fine way to spend six months! No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!" Ella directed her attention to the empty bowl in front of her, preferring that to the dejected twins. Mrs. Weasley was furious and they were equally upset with her. If she hadn't wanted to take on Molly's wrath herself, she may have pointed out that tests were not everything. There were certainly more professions to be had than just a Ministry worker. Bill and Charlie were perfect examples of people who could find joy outside of the government and be successful in the meantime. Of course, Ella had been leaning towards becoming an Auror in order to help others, but she understood as well that there were other options for her. The twins didn't need to get all O's in order to be successful in life.

Everyone seemed resolved to stay quiet for fear of being brought into the fight themselves. It was a tense atmosphere throughout the kitchen up until they all went to leave. After breakfast had been finished, the group headed towards the door.

"Well, have a lovely time, and _behave yourselves!_ " Mrs. Weasley called out to Fred and George who were already making their way across the yard without so much as acknowledging their mother. Molly gave Ella a hug so she could reach the boys without needing to sprint.

"Hey!" She yelled. The boys refused to turn around. "Oi! You lot, wait up!" The two stopped but still stayed facing away from the Burrow. The others were now starting their trek as well.

"Are you going to say you told us so?" George asked sullenly.

Ella looked at him curiously, "No? How could I say that when I encouraged you to give Dudley the toffee? If anything, I should be just as upset about the whole thing as you are. Only, I suppose I shouldn't, I didn't spend six months working on them like the two of you."

Fred huffed, "Don't remind us. Six months wasted. Half a year spent developing and perfecting only so they could end up in the trash. Fantastic."

"I don't understand why you're both so upset. I mean, it's not that big of a deal," Ella said with a smirk touching her lips.

The twins gaped at her.

"What do you mean not a big deal?!" George hissed. "We spent six months on those candies!"

"How could you just blow that off?"

Ella rolled her eyes, "Six months well spent if you ask me. You tried sneaking the candies from the sack you showed me out of the house, correct?"

"You watched us!" Fred stated. He was looking at Ella like she'd grown a second head.

"Then why are you so upset? I mean, you're both smart boys with a friend who's always looking out for your best interest; who, might I add, can also see the future. Naturally, this friend could have seen the outcome before it even happened, and she wouldn't want you to lose all your hard work," Ella mused.

George looked dumbstruck, "And what did our Seer friend do to keep us from losing our hard work?"

"Switched the candies in the jar with the others. Your actual product is under Fred's bed," Ella said to the two shocked boys. "I wouldn't suggestion making a snack out of those…unless you want a tongue as tall as you are."

"You're brilliant!"

"Genius!"

"Awe inspiring!"

"Perfect!" Fred finished before blushing. Ella blushed as well. Fred opened his mouth to say something, but the terrain changed causing the group to focus more on their footing than on talking. Ella knew that she was in better shape than most people, but by the time they climbed Stoatshead Hill, she felt ready to keel over. Her lungs burned from the effort she was taking to keep her footing in the mud. The rest of her friends seemed to be faring just as well.

The twins and Ella were the first to reach the top of the hill followed by Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley. Ginny and Hermione were in the back. Ella knew Ginny could've made it up at the same speed as Ella and the boys, but she was kind enough to stay behind with Hermione.

"Whew," Mr. Weasley wheezed before looking down at his watch and wiping sweat off his forehead. "Well, we've made good time –we've got ten minutes… Now we just need the Portkey. It won't be big… Come on…"

Ella split away from the twins to try and find where the Portkey was located. Everyone else searched the ground as well. For trying not to draw attention to themselves, the group was sure acting strange. Ella imagined many Muggles would find it strange that a group of so many people were on a hill top searching the ground for a piece of trash. Far be it from her to point out that to the Ministry.

"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it!" A shout rang through the air. Ella looked up to see a tall, red faced man with a scrubby brown beard holding a boot. She wrinkled her nose at the gross looking thing and took back her thoughts about the Ministry being daft. They may not understand how odd looking for a Portkey would seem to Muggles, but they surely knew what sort of items would not be accidentally touched. It looked rancid.

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley cried out moving towards the man. Mr. Weasley's movement made Ella's eye shift from Amos to the person he was with. She instantly blushed. Cedric Diggory stood tall beside the man who Ella figured must have been Amos _Diggory_ … his father. Ella had seen Cedric and Cho together before, but she also had admitted to Katie, Alicia, and Angelina that she thought he was very attractive. Which…he still was, even if she preferred Fred.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?" Mr. Weasley asked. Ella tried to make herself stop blushing, but it was in vein. All she could think about was Angelina saying that it didn't hurt to look at other guys around the school.

"Hi," Cedric said. Ella mumbled hi along with everyone but Fred and George. Fred was clearly remembering Ella's statement about liking his looks. He knew he wasn't supposed to have heard it, but regardless he did. Fred wouldn't admit it to his twin much less himself, but he was extremely jealous.

Mr. Diggory grinned, "Long walk, Arthur?"

"Not too bad," Mr. Weasley replied. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparation test. Still…not complaining…Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons –and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy… All these yours, Arthur?" Amos asked looking over all of them.

Mr. Weasley chuckled, "Oh no, only the red heads," He pointed to the twins, Ron, and Ginny. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's –and Harry, another friend –"

"Merlin's beard!" Amos cried cutting Mr. Weasley off before he had a chance to get to Ella. "Harry? Harry _Potter_?" Cedric gave Ella an apologetic look to which she merely shrugged. George cast a sideways glance at his twin whose ears were turning the shade of a ripe apple.

"Er –yeah," Harry responded uncomfortably.

"Ced's talked about you, of course. Told us all about playing against you last year… I said to him, I said –Ced, that'll be something you tell your grandchildren, that will… _You beat Harry Potter!_ " Amos boasted while Cedric just looked even more embarrassed. Ella couldn't blame him –it was one of the most tactless things Ella had ever head said, and she spent nearly every moment with the twins. Both of the boys were scowling now at the mention of their loss. Of course, Gryffindor won the Cup after that, but the loss still stung the team.

Cedric muttered to try and calm his father, "Harry fell off his broom, Dad. I told you…it was an accident…"

Amos waved off his son, "Yes, but _you_ didn't fall off, did you? Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman…but the best man won. I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

Ella, who felt the dementor's presence almost as strongly as Harry, was furious. He fell off his broom because he was hearing the dying screams of his mother –not because he didn't know how to _fly_. Ella opened her mouth to say something only to have Fred's hand cover it quickly. As furious as he looked, he had the brains in this moment to realize that it was wiser to remain silent.

Mr. Weasley, also noticing the tension, quickly said, "Must be nearly time. Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets. There aren't any more of us in the area, are there?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"Not that I know of. Yes, it's a minute off…we'd better get ready," Mr. Weasley said. He quickly explained to Harry and Hermione what to do. The twins had told Ella a few weeks ago how Portkeys worked. Everyone maneuvered around backpacks and other items to get into a circle. Ella felt smashed in between Fred and George, but it was better than being near Mr. Diggory. Ella had a feeling that she and that man could not spend more than five minutes in a room together without Ella completely losing her patience. It was almost impressive how Ella could refrain from revealing the secrets of the future, no matter how frightening, but a full ground man was able to rile her up enough to consider doing magic outside of school. Amos Diggory was certainly lucky that she was not seventeen…and that she hadn't brought any prank sweets with her to the World Cup.

"Three… Two… One –" Mr. Weasley counted. Everyone seemed to be ripped off their feet. Ella let out an involuntary gasp of surprise. As the Portkey took them to their destination, Ella and everyone else knocked into each other's shoulders and backs. The wind howled and made her hair whip around as a swirl of colors raced around them.

It last for only a few moments, then they all collided with the ground. Ella couldn't help as her knees buckled beneath her. It seemed like everyone was falling like dominos. Luckily, Ella landed on something a little softer than the ground.

Ella looked down to find herself lying on top of Fred. Her eyes grew wide at the realization and he let out a grunt from her elbow falling into his stomach.

"Sorry!" Ella apologized quickly. Her face flushed with embarrassment from nearly squishing her crush's ribs. It wasn't her fault the Portkey threw her on him, but she certainly wasn't fond of injuring the guy she'd rather be dating.

Mr. Weasley, who had somehow managed to stay upright, extended a hand towards her to help Ella get up. She took it gratefully and hoped Fred wasn't too winded from her fall. Before she could apologize again a sharp voice called out:

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill."

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. We've got a bit of jealousy from Fred, but I'm sure that won't be the last time for that. Those Weasley boys and their jealousy. Please Review! The more reviews I get, the quicker I post!**


	7. Chapter 7: Bagman and Crouch

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series!**

 **This is the longest chapter of the this story as of now! Yay! Plus it's filled with foreshadowing :) Something to keep in mind while reading, Enjoy!**

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Bagman and Crouch

Ella glanced around the area the group had landed in, only for her eyes to fall on the most bizarre sight she'd seen in the past few days. Two wizards who obviously had never spent more time in the Muggle world than the bare minimum looked absolutely ridiculous. One of them was in a kilt for Merlin's sake. Neither of the looked very happy –certainly not morning people to say the least.

"Morning, Basil," Mr. Weasley said as he made his way over to the wizard in the kilt. He deposited the boot into the man's hand only for Basil to chuck it into a box of other discarded Portkeys.

"Hello there, Arthur. Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some… We've been here all night… You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black forest at five-fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite…." Basil responded tiredly. Ella suddenly felt bad for judging his attire and attitude so harshly. Waiting up all night for different wizards and witches to arrive via Portkey certainly seemed like a good excuse to be a little disgruntled.

Her eyes swept over the vaguely familiar setting. Something about this place seemed eerily familiar, but Ella couldn't put her finger on it. She racked her brains for just a moment before Mr. Weasley broke through her musings.

"Come on, you lot." They all began following Mr. Weasley who led them through the moor and towards a cottage. "Say goodbye to the Diggorys!" Mr. Weasley said as they were going to continue on to a different area.

Everyone mumbled their farewells to the father and son. Fred and George's were nearly inaudible. Ella didn't quite fancy being polite towards Mr. Diggory but she offered a shy wave to Cedric who returned it with a small grin. Fred felt like punching him, but settled on huffing and turning towards the cottage they were approaching.

A Muggle sat on the front steps and watched them approach. After seeing the way wizards try to imitate Muggles, Ella knew this man wasn't magic. Was he a Squib? Surely, he must have some connection to the Wizarding world to be put in a position like this.

Mr. Weasley called out happily to the man, "Morning!"

"Morning," the Muggle responded.

"Would you be Mr. Roberts?"

The man nodded, "Aye, I would. And who're you?"

"Weasley –two tents, booked a couple days ago?" Mr. Weasley responded. Ella began to feel antsy. Her skin crawled for some reason and she didn't know why. Was she leery of Mr. Roberts, or was she leery about something pertaining to him? Ella sighed. Sometimes her ability could be a real pain –like when she vaguely remembered the important things.

"Aye," Mr. Roberts said nodding, "you've got a space up by the woods there. Just the one night?"

"That's it," Mr. Weasley replied, which was a relief to Ella. After the night she'd had before, she could hardly stand the idea of being in a campsite for more than one night. Heaven forbid she end up sleep walking into someone else's tent.

Mr. Roberts nodded, "You'll be paying now, then?"

Arthur shifted uncomfortably, "Ah…right…certainly…." Ella watched him motion towards Harry, the closest of those who lived with Muggles, to come over to him. Her eyes darted between Mr. Roberts and Mr. Weasley. If this man were a Squib or connected to the Wizarding world, he'd have collected Galleons, sickles, and knuts. The fact that Mr. Weasley had Muggle money meant that this man was not connected to their world.

"You foreign?" Mr. Roberts asked when Harry and Mr. Weasley came up with the right amount.

Mr. Weasley looked at the man curiously, "Foreign?"

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money. I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago," the man told Arthur.

"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley said, his voice barely containing his unease.

The man got Mr. Weasley's change, "Never been this crowded… Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up…"

Trying to get out, Mr. Weasley held his hand out to try and get the change. Mr. Roberts seemed distracted though. Arthur conversationally remarked, "Is that right?"

Mr. Roberts nodded some more, "Aye, people from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."

"Shouldn't he?"

Ella shifted uncomfortably at the dangerous waters they were obviously treading. The man still hadn't given Mr. Weasley his change, and the more questions he asked, the more uncomfortable Mr. Weasley got. This man, obviously, wasn't supposed to know what was going on, but no one in the wizarding world was being secretive enough to make him unsuspecting.

"It's like some sort of…I dunno… like some sort of rally," Mr. Roberts mused. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party."

A pop made Ella jump backwards as a man appeared out of thin air.

" _Obliviate!"_ He said with his wand pointing directly at Mr. Roberts. Ella's mouth dropped open as Mr. Roberts's eyes went out of focus. Ella knew the charm, a memory modifier.

Mr. Roberts still seemed unfocused as he said, "A map of the campsite for you. And your change."

"Thank you," Mr. Weasley said taking the things from the Muggle. The group began to walk away. Ella looked at Mr. Roberts from over her shoulder and couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness settling in her stomach.

"Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security. Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur," the man who charmed Mr. Roberts said. With another crack, he disappeared once more.

"Ten times," Ella muttered to herself. The twins looked over at her, "Ten times!"

George looked at her mildly concerned, "What's that?"

Ella huffed, "They modify that man's memory ten times a day and no one else finds this wrong? We're the ones who've come here to where he lives and yet we're going to modify his memory? It's his own mind, shouldn't he be the one controlling it?"

Fred's eye brows knit together, "Well, I suppose, but it's not hurting him. We'll all be out of his hair soon enough, in any case. I wouldn't worry about it." Ella nodded grudgingly. She just didn't like the idea of not being in control of what happens in her head. She barely had control most of the time so the idea of taking away this Muggle's control bothered her immensely. She'd go crazy if there were gaps in her memory or lapses in what she knew had or hadn't happened.

The group walked through the camp ground where Ella spotted many tents that seemed normal at first glance until you spotted the chimneys on top of their roofs and other oddities. She couldn't help but shake her head fondly at the gap in knowledge between the two groups of people. Harry and Hermione seemed to have the same kind of look on their faces. One tent refused to participate in disguising itself like Muggles. It was so extravagant that there were live peacocks in front of it.

"Ten galleons says that the Malfoys' tent," Ella whispered to the twins.

Fred scoffed, "Suckers bet. Those peacocks probably strut just as much as anyone from that family."

"Unfortunately, they're not a fraction as pleasing to the eye as the birds," Ella joked, eyeing the brightly colored plumage. As they marched further into the camp ground, Ella saw tents that could've put even the Malfoy tent to shame.

Mr. Weasley looked about the camp good naturedly, chatting, "Always the same. We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us." They had finally reached the top of the hill they'd been climbing. A forest had spanned out in front of them, and they stood on its edge. Ella could see a little sign that read: WEEZLY. She snickered into her palm at the spelling of the last name. Fred and George both glared at the little sign, but dropped it quickly after since it was more funny than actually upsetting.

Arthur seemed thrilled by their placement despite the sign, "Could have a better spot! The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be… Right, no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land." Ella cast an amused look to the twins at the statement. None of them were of age so insisting that they shouldn't use magic seemed slightly redundant. She didn't tell Mr. Weasley that, though. It was still early in the morning and she could tell he was too excited to think about the logistics of what he was saying. "We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult…Muggles do it all the time… Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

It was obvious by the look on Harry's face that he had as much camping experience as Ella did. Which was absolutely nothing. Harry and Hermione worked to get the poles and pegs set up for one tent while Ella took it upon herself to figure out the other. She tried to show Mr. Weasley where to hammer after the other two managed a little bit, but Arthur seemed to be enjoying the process too much to want to complete it. Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny stayed out of the way, finding that much safer than being in the action. It was a good idea too since Mr. Weasley was really a bit over-eager with the mallet.

The entire ordeal took much longer than it would have with magic, but Ella figured that they'd done a fairly decent job especially since none of them had ever camped before. The two tents were standing and didn't look like they'd be knocked over, unless a breeze passed by. She had to admit, they had the two tents that could actually fool any Muggle that happened to pass by. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and Hermione look at each other and the tents curiously. She merely grinned at the two of them.

"Just wait and see," she murmured. Mr. Weasley had told her about the inside of the tents already. She was very excited to see it for herself since typical tents were as big as they looked instead of being bigger on the inside.

For the millionth time in her life, Ella found herself absolutely in love with magic. After Mr. Weasley, Harry, and Ron entered the tent, Ella made her way in as well. It was amazing that outside, they needed to crawl in, but inside there were three rooms. Ella wasn't even listening as she explored the boys' tent. They had a kitchen and bathroom in there along with couches. It was amazing that merely five years ago she could only imagine things like this. Now, the things that she used to day dream and yearn for as she hid in bushes near her house were reality.

"Come on, dad wants us to collect firewood," Fred whispered to Ella. She turned towards him in surprise. His voice was so soft, she nearly hadn't heard it. Every other sound in the house had disappeared as she explored, but he called her back to reality. It was funny actually. Everyone had seen Ella become entranced by something magical. Being a girl that read so much when she was little, she was prone to fall into a hypnotic state from the mystique around her. Of everyone who was her friend, Fred was the only one to gently bring her back. She could obviously be jerked out of her musings, but this boy somehow knew her well enough to calmly bring her back every time.

Ella followed him, George, Mr. Weasley, and Ginny to the woods nearby to pick up sticks for their Muggle fire. While everyone seemed to be focused on completing their task, Ella's mind kept wandering to Fred. He was a few feet away, and every few moments she'd sneak a glance over towards him. He didn't look at her, but she didn't mind. Ella was glad that he hadn't caught her. Every few minutes, he or George would goof around pretending a stick they found was a sword and being dueling each other until their dad told them to be serious. As soon as their fight would break up, Fred would gather up the sticks and his eye brows would knit in concentration. Ella couldn't help but laugh inwardly –only Fred could manage to make a simple task like stick collecting into something that required his utmost attention. She had an inkling that the concentration was a joke in itself, especially since George's face held a similar expression.

They finished up with their gatherings and brought all the wood back to their tents. Mr. Weasley proceeded to pull out a box of matches. Ella had a very bad feeling about all this.

"Bought some of these… Fascinating little things from what I've seen! Muggles come up with the best things to make up for their lack of magic. We've got our _incendio_ charm of course, but they have these…err…matches!" Arthur babbled. He grinned at the four of them pulling a little stick out. Ella never really used matches, but she certainly knew how.

"Here, I can help," Ella said moving towards Mr. Weasley, but he shook his head straight away.

"Oh no, no, no!" He trilled, "It would be irresponsible of me to have you lot start the fire. As the adult it's my duty." Ella exchanged a glance with Fred and George.

She shrugged, "Alright then, be my guest."

For the next hour, the four of them watched Mr. Weasley become absorbed in his task. Ella wouldn't have been surprised if he'd forgotten they were even there. Within the first thirty minutes he'd broken an entire box of matches. Without any sort of sadness, the man pulled out a second box from his bag and began trying again.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally showed up again with the water.

George looked over at their arrival, "You've been ages."

"Met a few people," Ron replied. "You not got that fire started yet?"

Fred rolled his eyes, "Dad's having fun with the matches." They all watched as Mr. Weasley accidently lit a match only to drop it in surprise.

Ella smiled and as Hermione walked over to the man, she said proudly, "Impressive. That's the third one he's gotten in ten minutes. I knew he'd get the hang of it eventually." Unfortunately, that was the last one he got to do on his own because Hermione began instructing him. Ella could feel the younger girl staring at her almost accusingly. Ella figured she'd get over it soon enough, or she could explain why she hadn't helped Mr. Weasley later. The man hadn't wanted her help and the look of childlike joy on his face made it difficult to want to help him. The smile on her surrogate father's face was enough to convince Ella that even if they had to wait for food it'd be worth it in the end. There were many times where Ella felt that there wasn't as much happiness in the world as there ought to be. She never felt like she was as happy as she should be, in any case. If Mr. Weasley could find joy in a Muggle match, who was she to take that away?

The newly kindled fire began heating up and Mr. Weasley pointed out some people he knew from the Ministry. It took a little bit, but lunch finally came underway just in time for Bill, Charlie, and Percy to show up. As they sat in their spot in the camp, Mr. Weasley continued to point out people who work in the Ministry, explaining their jobs in depth if necessary. Ella was beginning to think Mr. Weasley knew every wizard out there.

"AHA! The man of the moment! Ludo!" Mr. Weasley roared as he leapt to his feet. Ella watched a man in an old Wimbourne Wasps uniform bounded towards them. The man seemed to be the epitome of jolly. His stomach stretched the material of his uniform while his blue eyes, blond hair, and rosy cheeks gave Ella the distinct impression he was related to St. Nicholas –maybe a cousin or equally spirited younger brother.

"Ahoy there!" Ludo boomed. "Arthur, old man, what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming…and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements… Not much for me to do!" Ella found herself skeptical of that. It hardly escaped any of their attention that there was quite the magical fire display down the way. The violently violet sparks looked like fireworks, but obviously more impressive.

Without warning, Ella found herself pushed on her back in Percy's hurried attempt to shake hands with the man. She huffed and shot an exasperated look towards him, but he only had eyes for the Ministry worker. She picked herself up just in time for Mr. Weasley to start making introductions.

"Ah –yes. This is my son, Percy –he just started at the Ministry –and this is Fred –no, George, sorry – _that's_ Fred –and there's their friend, Ella Worthington –Bill, Charlie, Ron –my daughter, Ginny –and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

As per usual, Bagman paid no mind to the rest of their party and stared unabashedly at Harry. At least Mr. Weasley introduced him last this time. If he hadn't, one of them would've been left unnamed like the last time.

Before Ludo could question Harry, Mr. Weasley introduced, "Everyone, this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets–"

Bagman acted as though he had done nothing before saying, "Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" He began to rattle a bunch of gold coins in his pockets. He wiggled his eyebrows and continued, "I've already got Roddy Pontnet betting me Bulgaria will score first–"

Ella snorted a bit more loudly than she intended. The twins looked at her startled, but Ludo wasn't paying any attention.

"I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years –and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week long match," Bagman boasted. Ella looked at the man suspiciously. Despite his jolly appearance, Ella felt that something was off with him. As much as she wanted to believe this was all friendly, her gut was saying that she couldn't possibly trust this man. It was a good thing she never would've even considered gambling.

"Oh…go on then," Mr. Weasley said riffling through his pockets. "Let's see…a Galleon on Ireland to win?"

For a moment, Ludo Bagman didn't look nearly so jolly, "A Galleon? Very well, very well…any other takers?"

"They're a bit young to be gambling… Molly wouldn't like –"

"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts that Ireland wins – _but Victor Krum gets the Snitch_. Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand," Fred stated boldly.

"You're going to what?" Ella hissed at the two, eyes wide as saucers. The two boys didn't pay her any mind as they pooled all their money together.

Percy on the other hand was worried about a different aspect of their bargain, insisting, "You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that…" Ella was about to change her tactic by arguing with Percy instead, when Ludo proved Percy wrong for her. With a swish of the wand and a loud squawk, the wand turned into a rubber chicken. Ella grinned –she'd came up with the rubber chicken seeing it on Muggle TV while the boys contributed the rubber mouse.

"Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!" Bagman exclaimed through his laughter. Ella had to remind herself that she was also upset with the boys currently and couldn't smirk at Percy's stunned expression or beam with pride at their invention getting the recognition it deserved. She was supposed to be upset with the boys.

Mr. Weasley breathed to the twins, "Boys, I don't want you betting…. That's all your savings….Your mother –"

"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur! They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance… I'll give you excellent odds on that one… We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we…."

Ella and Mr. Weasley watched as Ludo Bagman started putting Fred and George on the betting list he'd created. Mr. Weasley looked completely helpless while Ella was simmering.

"Cheers," George said taking the slip Mr. Bagman gave him. Ella's eyes narrowed even further at him.

Bagman continued, talking to Arthur, "Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages."

Percy, suddenly looking like the elf to Ludo Bagman's St. Nick, excitedly proclaimed, "Mr. Crouch? He speaks over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll…"

"Anyone can speak Troll. All you have to do is grunt," Fred said to Percy who merely glared. George snickered, but Ella remained stoic, finally catching the attention of the two boys. She always laughed at their jokes –something was obviously up.

"What's wrong with you?" Fred asked.

Ella glared at him and his twin, "What's _wrong_? I told you that you shouldn't bet and here you are gambling!"

George scoffed, "Of course we are, thanks to you, it's a sure fire thing."

"Are you kidding me?" Ella growled. "Nothing is sure fire! I heard Fred say you both lost all your savings in a bet."

"So? You told us the right team to make it impossible for us to lose," Fred tried arguing.

"So…the future has a way of coming true regardless of what I do to stop it. I'm not saying you won't still get your money, but there's a chance you could still lose it somehow. That's why I told you not to bet. Not betting was the only way you were going to manage to keep your savings," Ella sighed. She really just wanted to protect the two of them, and something about Bagman struck a chord with her. She'd do some digging later, if necessary, but for now, she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Besides, I don't appreciate being used just to make money. My abilities are not for gambling and swindling people out of their money. I'm _not_ someone's tool!" Both boys looked at her sheepishly with that statement. Neither would admit they were wrong for betting, but they muttered apologies at misusing their friend's gift.

Suddenly, Ludo Bagman shouted, "Oh –talk of the devil! Barty!"

Ella's mouth physically dropped for the second time that day, but she wished the feeling would've been limited to the tents. Like so many others in this world, she'd seen Barty Crouch before without making the connection. Percy boasted about an accomplished man –a perfect man in every form of the world. Ella could see how Crouch exemplified Percy's idea of perfection with his perfectly Muggle suit and shined shoes not to mention the fact both what he had left of hair on his head and his mustache were trimmed to an ungodly perfect state. She marveled at how he could manage to keep every hair on his head in order –this man was, without a doubt, Percy's ultimate goal in life, but Ella had seen him before in a much darker light.

The Barty Crouch that Ella knew before had been angry. A vein in his temple had beat so hard it was visible on the side of his skull. Now he just seemed weary and tired, hardened by something a father would never want to go through, but protecting his country regardless of personal ties. Ella had seen his son begging his father for mercy as well as his wife. Neither of them received it. Ella hadn't recognized the name Crouch, now that she thought about it, the name had only been said in the vision once. An easily forgotten detail among many pressing ones. This man's son was convicted of torturing Neville Longbottom's parents to insanity along with the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange. Ella couldn't bring herself to side with the boy she'd seen in the vision since she had known Neville for quite a bit of time now, but she wasn't about to throw herself in Mr. Crouch's path like Percy was.

Bellatrix's words stood out to Ella, still crisp and deranged in her mind. _"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! …We alone were faithful!"_ If the woman who loved Voldemort insisted this boy was in their chosen group, Ella had to believe he wasn't as innocent as he appeared in the vision. She shook herself out of her revere, realizing she'd been staring at the man in question for much longer than a normal person, who wasn't Percy, should have.

"Mr. Crouch!" Percy nearly yelled with excitement. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Crouch looked at Percy, "Oh. Yes –thank you, Weatherby."

Ella's hand clapped audibly over her mouth in shock as the twins choked on their cups of tea. Percy's ears turned pink like his brothers' did whenever they were embarrassed or upset –which Percy probably was. The twins were certainly not going to drop this matter any time soon.

"Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur," Crouch said stiffly. Ella wondered if he knew Arthur's last name….or could make the connection that Percy was Arthur's son. "Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets."

With a sigh, Mr. Weasley explained, "I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"

"I doubt it. He's desperate to export here," Crouch responded, politely taking the tea cup from a still pink Percy.

"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" Bagman interjected happily. Ella assumed that he wanted to move the conversation back to the Cup, but Barty Crouch did not seem like the kind of man to bargain the match results. Ella wasn't even sure he seemed like the kind of man who'd enjoy Quidditch at all.

Mr. Crouch informed Bagman, "Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle. I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve –but that was before carpets were banned, of course."

The barely concealed defensive tone that wrapped around his previous statement felt like a red flag to Ella. He was almost challenging someone to say that his family was criminally involved. It was a threat and promise altogether. Even though Ella was certain she was the only one besides Mr. Weasley to know about his son, he wanted to make clear that his family only had the one weak link. Once again, Ella found herself looking at the hardened man with curiosity and a bit of fright. This time his cold eyes found her stare. She immediately looked away.

"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" Bagman asked conversationally.

"Fairly, organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo," Crouch replied curtly. Ella got the distinct impression that Bagman was slacking with his duties and Crouch was left to pick up whatever Bagman left him with.

Mr. Weasley chuckled slightly, "I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?"

"Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun… Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?" Bagman practically sang. Ella wondered if his nose really had been broken by a Bludger or if Mr. Crouch had lost it one day with this man. They most definitely didn't seem like a good team. Meanwhile, Percy was glaring at her as if to warn her not to let the men know that she already had heard about their little Tri-wizard Tournament. Ella merely shot him a feigned look of innocence. He may have been fooled, if he hadn't known the twins were her best friends.

Barty Crouch looked at Ludo disapprovingly, "We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details–"

"Oh details… They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts–"

"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know. Thank you for the tea, Weatherby," Crouch sternly cut off Bagman. Ella watched the untouched tea slosh in the cup he handed back to Percy.

Bagman shrugged and finished off his tea, "See you all later! You'll be up in the Top Box with me –I'm commentating!" They both disappeared with a pop.

Not ten seconds later Fred asked, "What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad? What were they talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Mr. Weasley said with a cryptic smile. Anticipation, curiosity, and excitement lit up Fred and George's eyes. Ella could see the how everyone else's minds began to spin with possibilities. She felt a pang in her heart.

"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," Percy informed them pompously. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."

Fred snorted, "Oh shut up, Weatherby."

As the afternoon moved on, no one nearly as important drifted to their camp. Everyone sort of split into groups after Percy ended their conversation on the "mystery event." Unbeknownst to Percy, the twins and Ginny were still discussing their ideas with each other. Ella didn't feel like being questioned, since Percy was watching her like a hawk, so she sat by Mr. Weasley.

"Is Mr. Crouch's son still in Azkaban?" She hesitantly questioned the man.

Mr. Weasley only appeared mildly surprised by Ella's knowledge of the subject, "Know about that nasty business, do you?" He asked sadly. "Strictly speaking, no. He died many years back, then his wife went shortly after. Awful, the entire thing. There was a lot of debate whether Barty Crouch Jr. was a Death Eater and responsible for the crime…do you know what crime that was?"

Ella's eyes fell to the ground and her face blanched slightly, "I'm very familiar with the whole situation surrounding the trial."

For a moment, Mr. Weasley didn't know how to respond, he finally settled with wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders and saying, "I wouldn't let him bother you. He's a good and honest man. Once his son was put in Azkaban, justice sort of took over his life. Without his son or wife, nothing seemed to be as important as keeping things running at the Ministry. I wouldn't let anything like that bother you know. It was horrible, of course, but it's in the past now. And while sometimes the past is the key to the future, other times it's better to keep it buried."

Soon enough, nothing could calm any of the teenagers down as darkness finally fell. The crowds thickened and people began selling different items pertaining to the two teams or Quidditch in general. Ella looked around at all of the items in their little stands unable to comprehend what most of them could even do.

Ron purchased a miniature Krum, a hat, and a green rosette. Ella over heard the salesman telling Harry and Ron about Omnioculars, which were much more fascinating than any binocular Ella had ever experienced. Her impossibly wide smile only grew when Harry bought a pair for himself and Both Ron and Hermione. The girl ended up buying a program for them to look through. The twins stared longingly at the Irish rosettes and hats, obviously wanting a memento from the team they knew would win. Everyone started walking back towards the tents before Ella had made her purchase. She insisted she wouldn't be too long to the twins and that they didn't need to wait for her.

"Um, two hats and a rosette for Ireland if you could, please. Then a program, mini Firebolt, and one of the Omnioculars as well," Ella asked the sales person. She handed over all the money she'd brought to the game, but she figured it would be worth it.

"So did you buy the entire cart?" Fred joked as Ella came back with her things. She stuck her tongue out at him before tossing one of the hats to him and the other to George.

Ella grinned at their stunned expressions, "No need to thank me. Those are yours to keep, and we can share the Omnioculars and program. The mini Firebolt and rosette are mine though."

"We can't possibly accept this," Fred told her. "You were angry with us and thought what we did was wrong. How are we supposed to just let you buy our things now?"

She smiled softly, "Alright then, I guess you'll have to find some way to pay me back."

Fred smiled back at her, "Deal."

* * *

 **A/N: Soooo what did you think? Did you catch anything that may be foreshadowing? If you think you did I'd love to hear it. Who knows? You may inspire me to make something that wasn't foreshadowing come to life as such. As always thank you for your wonderful reviews! Please review again to help me out with the process!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Quidditch World Cup

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to J.K. Rowling!**

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The Quidditch World Cup

"Is it odd that, despite already knowing the outcome, I'm still completely excited by this match?" George babbled as they made their way through the forest. The twins were about a step ahead of Ella who couldn't help but smile at the giant green hats sitting on their heads. Without any delay the boys had put them on and done an Irish jig into the forest –since then all Ella could see was two gigantic leprechauns. She couldn't wait for the moment to tell them this.

Ella shrugged, "Welcome to my world?"

Fred laughed, "Come on, mate. It's the World Cup. You could've seen the entire match before and still be excited to see it now. Krum could grab the Snitch in five seconds and we'd still be excited. Completely out of all our money, but it's the World Cup and that's not going to happen!" He playfully gave George a shove who returned the gesture.

"I don't think I've ever seen two people who better signify Ireland," Ella said taking her chance to tease them.

"Really?" Fred asked her suspiciously.

She smirked, "Yep, you two look like you've escaped from some weird leprechaun camp. Are you after your gold by chance?"

Fred stuck his tongue out at Ella in his usual way of responding to her teasing. Ella nearly returned it, only to find herself thrown completely upside down and hanging from George's shoulders by her knees. She struggled to get upright, which was answered by said twin spinning in a circle.

"Do we still look like we're leprechauns from that angle?" Fred said kneeling down to look at her.

Ella groaned before shouting, "No! No, you don't look like tiny Irish creatures, you're giants. Now put me down before I get sick."

She put her arms out just in time for George to push her off his back. Ella avoided hitting her head but landed unceremoniously on her behind. She huffed as the boys started laughing at her expression. Fred extended a hand to help her up. She patted the dirt off her pants before shooting him a playful glare.

"You distracted me so George could do that," she accused.

He shrugged with an easy grin on his face, "I had to. You insulted my and my brother's honor. It was something we couldn't simply let slide. Punishment was necessary."

Ella rolled her eyes, "Of course it was. I was wrong in my assessment earlier. You two are more like brutish Trolls than nice little leprechauns."

George snorted and threw one of his arms around her shoulders, "Keep talking and you'll spend the rest of the walk upside down."

"Right you are, George. Besides, you're the little one anyways, Ella," Fred told her. In an attempt to add emphasis he rested his arm on top of her head.

"All right, that's it. I'm hexing you both like mad when we get to school. Or better yet, the next time you have an incredibly stupid idea and I see the embarrassing outcome, I won't put a stop to it," Ella vowed. The boys exchanged dramatic looks of panic before breaking out into fits of laughter. "You're both unbelievable."

"Yes well you're…wow," Fred said. Ella looked quickly at him to see if she'd heard right only to find his eyes focused on something in front of them. Ella turned to look at the giant stadium that was now towering out of the forest. Wow…was certainly right. It was the biggest stadium Ella had ever seen, hands down. It could fit hundreds of football fields and still have room for a Muggle school or two. The golden walls rose high above the forest and Ella assumed there must have been quite the magical coverage going on to keep it out of sight for Muggles.

Mr. Weasley watched all their admiring faces before announcing, "Seats a hundred thousand. Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again…bless them."

They made their way towards the stadium trying to look up at the impossibly tall structure. George accidentally bumped into Ella twice and Ella stepped on the back of Ginny's heel, making her trip and hit Hermione. No one really cared though, everyone mumbled an apology and went back to staring. It wasn't until they got to the witch in the ticket booth that they started focusing on where they were going.

"Prime seats! Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go," the witch told their group. Mr. Weasley thanked her and ushered the ground into the stairwell.

A rich mauve carpeted the stairway that was crammed with witches and wizards of all ages. Ella saw a man carrying a young boy on his shoulders. The boy had a Bulgarian hat drooping over his head and a Krum doll clenched in his tiny fist. Everyone travelled up the stairs and disappeared into doors on the right and left of the hall. Eventually, the people began thinning out, but to Ella's excitement, their group only went higher into the stadium. The witch had said Top Box, and after an enormous amount of climbing, they finally reached the doorway to their seats.

It couldn't have been more perfect. They were at the very top, practically eye level with the goal posts –maybe even higher! Even better, they split the field. It was a perfect view for both the right goal post as well as the left. All around, the stadium dazzled in a golden aura that Ella couldn't seem to deny was beautiful. It reminded her of the power she kept inside her, beautiful and pure. A giant board flashed advertisements to the entire population, but Ella figured it wasn't made from electronics like it would be in the Muggle world. She didn't care to read the display, instead she worked to figure out what her Omnioculars could do. She zoomed in and out of the different areas of the arena. There were many others working on the device as well among the people who were just chatting with neighbors and one man in a very unappealing kilt picking his nose without any sort of shame. Ella quick turned away from him to look and the field below. She couldn't see the players, but they had to be close by, probably listening as the crowd grew from a timid whisper to a rolling thunder.

" _Dobby_?"

Ella whipped around to follow Harry's gaze. The creature certainly wasn't the House Elf Ella had briefly captured two summers ago when she was determined to figure out why he'd been stealing Harry's letters. This was a female with a large round nose and brown eyes nearly the same size. Her delicate little hands were covering her face, but her nimble fingers were stretched just enough for her to see who addressed her. Ella noticed that she was very little as far as House Elves came. The ones in the kitchen all were short, but this one seemed a few inches shorter than them even.

The creature squeaked, "Did sir just call me Dobby?"

Harry, realizing his mistake, replied, "Sorry, I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" She peeped to him. Ella was aware that all of their party was paying attention to the exchange, though only Ella and Harry had ever met Dobby. "My name is Winky, sir –and you sir –You is surely Harry Potter!" Ella felt a strong urge to roll her eyes. Of course, even House Elves knew the story and were awed by Harry.

"Yeah, I am."

Winky's eyes grew impossibly wide, "But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!"

Harry didn't seem too fazed by the information, "How is he? How's freedom suiting him?"

"Hey, can we check out the Omnioculars? You said we could share!" George whined. Ella shot him a glare, but quickly gave them to the twins.

"House elves does what they is told," Winky stated fervently. "I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter, bur my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir." Ella frowned at the statement, but didn't have to pay attention for very long. Soon enough the twins were babbling happily about the different Omniocular features they were discovering. Apparently, someone tripped in a box a few levels below them and the twins were watching it on repeat.

"You two are awful," Ella informed them.

Fred laughed, "Oh of course we are. Maybe we should keep this with us. Then the next time you trip over your feet we can watch again…"

"And again…"

"And again!"

Ella groaned, "Why do I put up with either of you?"

The two looked at each other before both saying, "Our devilishly good looks."

She let out a dry laugh, "Keep guessing."

The twins were about to retort when Ron proclaimed, "Wild! I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again…and again…and again…"

"He's still doing that!" Ella asked exasperatedly. She yanked the Omnioculars out of George's hand and looked down only to find it was a different man.

"Gross," she said, her nose wrinkling at the idea of so many men sticking their fingers up their nostrils. She was done shaking hands for the rest of the tournament.

As the time passed, Ella found herself teaching the Muggle children's game, I Spy, to the twins. The three found different people to focus their game on with the Omnioculars and got unpleasantly creative with their descriptions.

"I Spy a skinny girl with super long dirt colored hair, Cornish Pixie blue eyes, and has a tea leaf caught in her teeth," George said. The Omnioculars were facing Ella, who was not amused. "Oh and she looks like she's ready to kill someone."

"Yes…that'd be you."

"It speaks!" George hollered. Fred snatched the Omnioculars out of George hands before Ella had the chance to pounce. While the boys argued over the device. Ella picked the tea leaf out of her teeth, willing her cheeks not to flush. Honestly, how embarrassing.

"Ah, Minister! Pleasant to see you!" Mr. Weasley said shaking Cornelius Fudge's hand. Percy leaped to his feet, as he had been doing frequently for the past hour, and bowed so low, Ella thought his nose would touch the ground. Her guess was fairly close. Percy's nose didn't end up kissing the ground, but his glasses fell off his face and broke on the floor of the Box.

Ella quickly hid her face and slid down in her chair. She hadn't forgotten her first and only meeting with the Minister. She'd flat out told him that he needed to believe Sirius was innocent. Of course, she still stood by that, but it would not end well if he saw her now. Ella couldn't imagine how she'd get out of that. Probably by acting like she had no clue what he was talking about, but even that could only get her so far. She listened as the fabric of the Muggle outfit Fudge was wearing rustled with whatever gestures he was trying to make towards the Bulgarian Minister.

"Knew we'd get there in the end," Fudge said. Ella could hear the excited gibbering from another man. She tried to listen closely to him, but ended up giving up. She definitely did not know Bulgarian. "Ah, and here's Lucius!" Even though Ella was determined to not look in their direction, she snuck a peek out of the corner of her eye to see Lucius Malfoy flanked by his snobby son, Draco and an equally snooty woman who could only be Draco's mother.

"Ah, Fudge, how are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?" Mr. Malfoy introduced. Ella felt like saying that no one should have the misfortune of meeting his son, but her vow of silence kept her muted.

"How do you do, how do you do? And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk…er…Obalonak –Mr. well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else –you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

Know was an understatement. It'd be better to say that Lucius knew Mr. Weasley's fist well, but not the person behind it. Only scum could hate a man who is as kind as Mr. Weasley, which considering the pureblooded Malfoys believed people like Ella and Hermione were scum, Ella figured the feeling could only be mutual.

"Good lord, Arthur. What did you sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" Lucius sneered under his breath. Ella hands clenched in anger, but she saw Fred, ever the rasher twin, begin to move out of his seat. Quick as lightening, Ella reached out and grabbed his wrist.

" _Don't_ ," she hissed. "You'll only make things worse."

Fred looked at her disbelieving, "He's a git!"

"Yes, well, we both know your dad didn't sell your house for these tickets. But it's fairly clear that the Malfoys sold what little humanity they had. So stay here so they can't suck out your soul like their Dementor cousins." He huffed but settled fully into his purple and gold seat. Ella released his wrist.

Suddenly, Ludo Bagman burst into the box, "Everyone ready?" He was beaming ear to ear and practically bouncing like an excited school boy. "Minister –ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," Fudge responded from his seat somewhere behind their group. Ella sat on the edge of her seat and looked towards Fred and George. They were smiling about as wildly as she was.

"Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome!" Ludo announced. His voice was magically magnified to reach every corner of the packed stadium. "Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

Ella cheered enthusiastically adding to the cacophony of screams and applause coming from the crowd. The entire stadium was alive with movement and color as people waved their red and green flags with pride. There was something exhilarating about the atmosphere. Ella felt completely alive in this moment.

A score board took place of the advertisements: BULGARIA: 0 IRELAND: 0. Ella grinned with anticipation. Beside her she could feel the twins getting excited as well.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce…the Bulgarian National Team Mascot!"

From the Bulgarian side of the stadium, a crowd of scarlet with flags screeching the National anthem, there was thunderous approval. Soon enough, hundreds of women were gliding onto the field with silvery hair and moonlit skin. Ella remembered reading something about this, they weren't sirens –they were Veela. She glanced over towards the twins to notice how they were looking interestedly at the creatures. Then the music started.

Ella watched her best friend and her crush as their faces went blank and a dreamy look entered their eyes.

"Hello, Fred? George?" Ella called to them. She glanced around seeing that Percy, Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley had all been wise enough to plug their ears. Ella turned back to the twins, who still followed every move the veela were making. Ella scowled at the creatures down below. They were pretty, sure, much prettier than she thought she was, but there was more to a girl than her looks.

The music began to pick up as did the veela's dancing. The more wild the women got, the more anxious the boys became. Ella could see the shift in everyone who was entranced. Harry stood and threw one leg over the wall while Ron looked like he was going to dive off the edge onto the field. Ella left Hermione to take care of that –she had her own boys to worry about. Ginny, who was also looking at the veela with jealousy, bolted to George's side as he tried to throw himself over the edge. Ella, on the other hand, had to wedge herself between Fred and the railing to prevent him from jumping. He still fought to push past her and get to the veela. Ella glared and tried shoving him back to his spot. Fred watched the veela over Ella's head and she struggled to push him away, both hands, straining with effort to keep him still, against his chest. The two were locked in a standstill when the music finally stopped.

Blinking a few times, Fred didn't seem to realize what was going on. His eyes were still on the veela, but Ella didn't need to turn around to see they had stopped dancing. The angry shouts from the crowd were enough to tell Ella they were done. She still didn't quite trust Fred enough to let him go. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny had the same idea since her arms were currently wrapped around George and trying to tell him to sit down. Ginny looked more like she wanted to slap him but figured she'd probably get in trouble more from that than anything.

"Um, what are you doing?" Fred asked thickly, looking down at Ella's hands on his chest. Ella didn't even blush. She just dropped her hands.

"You were going to jump. I saved your life –you're welcome," she responded a bit more coldly than she had intended. Ella moved to sit back down and Fred followed her lead looking rather lost. Ginny finally released a red faced George and made her way back to her seat beside Ella and Charlie.

A little bit of jealousy gnawed at Ella's insides, but she tried to shove it away. Veela were enchanting creatures. It was in their magic to make men behave that way, and she shouldn't blame Fred for acting like that. He was under a spell, nothing more. No matter how many times Ella tried convincing herself that, she still felt upset by the look he gave to the veela and their beauty, and how she would never be able to live up to those standards.

Ludo Bagman's voice drowned out most of the audience once more, "And now, kindly put your wands in the air…for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

Ella's sullen mood dissipated almost immediately as a ball of green and yellow hurtled into the stadium in a dazzling display of light. Her eyes followed the comet as it zipped around the stadium once. After completing its lap, the ball split into two different ones and zoomed in different directions. With a sudden shimmer of light, a rainbow burst to connect the two orbs that filled the stadium with light. Ella's eyes were as wide as they could be, hoping to not miss a single detail of the beautiful spectacle around her. When the rainbow disappeared, the smaller comets merged once more into a larger one, only it went a step further and created a shamrock. Ella cheered with the rest of the crowd as it flew around sending flecks of gold everywhere.

When it reached their box Ella let out a laugh as a thousand little leprechauns threw out gold coins to them. The little red headed creatures wore red vests and held green and yellow lanterns. Ella collected a handful of the coins, giggling to herself at the wonder of it all. The leprechauns flew to the field, ending their routine. Ella cheered like the rest of the crowd as they settled themselves comfortably across from the Veela.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome –the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you –Dimitrov!" Ludo yelled. A blur of red shot out from somewhere below them as the Bulgarian crowd cheered. "Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaaaaaaand KRUM!" The entire crowd, whether they supported Ireland or Bulgaria erupted at the Bulgarian Seeker's name. Fred and George both shared one eye hole of the Omnioculars to see one of the youngest International Quidditch players in the world.

Bagman continued, "And now, please greet –the Irish National Quidditch team! Presenting –Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand LYNCH!" The Ireland side of the field went ballistic as seven green blurs shot out of their entrance. Ella clapped enthusiastically as the players got into position.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

A man with hair only in his enormous mustache entered the field with his broom and a crate containing all the balls required to play Quidditch. With a shrill whistle, he released the four balls and kicked off the ground.

"Theeeeeeeeey're off!" Bagman bellowed to the roaring crowd. Ella could hardly follow where the Quaffle was as it was passed between the Chasers of each team. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

The twins were still splitting the Omnioculars, but Ella couldn't care less. She was enjoying just watching the game. Currently, the three Irish Chasers were in a V formation where Troy was in the center and a bit ahead of his two teammates. He made a move to go upwards, tricking the Bulgarian chaser, but the Quaffle fell from the Irish Team into Bulgarian hands. Moran quickly dived at Levski, the Chaser who had caught the Quaffle and was able to get into back into Ireland's hands. Within moments she'd passed it once more to Mullet, then Troy who shot towards the Bulgarian goal post.

"TROY SCORES!" Bagman bellowed. Ella screamed with the rest of the crowd, though hers were excited unlike the Bulgarian fans. "Ten to zero, Ireland!"

"YES!" The twins roared. Fists punching through the air.

Troy zipped around the field as the Irish flags waved enthusiastically. The leprechauns began morphing into a shamrock once more, only causing the crowd to become more excited. Ella wondered when the next goal would be, and the Irish Chasers worked so well together that it wasn't a very long wait. The team, because that was the only way to describe such a well-oiled machine, scored two more goals just moments after the first one they'd managed. The Bulgarians began getting ferocious while the Irish became reckless with excitement.

Bludgers whizzed through the formations the Ireland Chasers had been using to take down the Bulgarians. It seemed that Bulgaria had some smart Beaters because they knew exactly which direction to hit towards to make the blurs of green scatter. Soon enough, the Quaffle was in the hands of the Bulgarians and racing towards the other end of the field, right past the Top Box.

"Fingers in your ears!" Mr. Weasley shouted to the boys in their group as Bulgaria scored their first goal. Fred and George quickly obeyed much to Ginny and Ella's relief. The girls continued to watch the action on the field without a care in the world for the dancing Veela below. For but a moment, Ireland had possession again, but the Beaters were now working overtime to get the upper hand. A well-aimed Bulger sent Troy reeling and the Quaffle fell into Dimitrov's hand.

Bagman was shouting, without stopping for air, "Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrv! Ivanova –oh I say!" Ella winced as the two Seekers hurtled towards the ground chasing an imaginary Snitch. Krum pulled out of the dive at just the right moment, but his Irish opposite wasn't so lucky.

"That's got to hurt," Ella grimaced.

"His pride's probably more wounded than anything," Fred replied not looking too concerned for the Irish Seeker. Though, with their knowledge of the game's outcome, it was warranted. If the Irish Seeker couldn't get the Snitch, then Krum was certainly more likely to grab it.

Ella snorted, "Not everyone is as hard headed as you. For some that would really hurt!" Fred merely laughed and looked at the replay on the Omnioculars. "Let me see."

Fred shrugged and handed them to her. Ella looked through the lenses and watched what had happened moments before in slow motion.

"It's called the Wronski Defensive Feint according to the Omnioculars. It's incredibly dangerous and only for advanced flyers," George explained.

"Oh really?" Ella asked sarcastically. "I assumed it was as dangerous as picking flowers." George rolled his eyes at Ella's sass. She handed the Omnioculars back to the twins.

Ginny leaned over the side of the wall to look at Lynch once Bagman announced the time out. Charlie had tried to convince her to sit back down, but the girl wouldn't have it. Ella carefully put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's going to be fine. They have good Healers out there to make sure of that, besides it's all part of the game," Ella reminded her.

"I know, but it still looked like it hurt. I was more watching how the other Ireland players were reacting. They went straight to his aid, like a real team. I don't think the Bulgarians would act like that," Ginny pointed out.

Ella merely shrugged, "Maybe not, but the Bulgarians are smart, look at Krum." The two girls turned their gaze towards Bulgaria's Seeker. While the mediwizards were working on Lynch, Krum was searching the stadium for the Snitch. It was much easier while all the Irish players were distracted by their injured teammate. Ella supposed she couldn't call it bad sportsmanship considering the fact Lynch didn't have to follow his dive.

A cheer went up from the crowd forcing Ella and Ginny's gazes back to Lynch as he finally stood up, ready to resume playing. Ella was quickly pulled back into the action as Ireland began to play with renewed vigor.

In roughly fifteen minutes of head spinning twists, turns, and passes, Ireland had scored ten more goals. Ella had no idea how their school's team would ever hold her interest again after such an astounding match. She could hardly pull her eyes away for a moment. The crowd cheered and roared like they had decided it'd be a crime to have their voice the next day. It was clear as day to see why Amos Diggory was willing to pay a sack of gold to get tickets. Ella would've been content to spend all the saving in her Gringotts account for this.

In a similar manner to how Hogwarts games went, as the score went up steadily on one side, the game started to get more vicious and abide by the rules less. Elbows were flying almost as much as the Bludgers. The Irish Chaser, Mullet began making her way to the goal where the Bulgarian Keeper was prepared to do anything to keep her away. He flew out to her and Ella had to be pulled back to her seat by Fred after the Keeper elbowed the girl in the side of her head.

"FOUL! THAT WAS A FOUL!" She screeched with the other Irish fans.

Ginny was fuming beside her as well while she shouted, "KICK HIM OUT OF THE GAME. HE'S A DIRTY LITTLE –"

"Ginny!" Charlie shouted covering his little sister's mouth.

Ella could barely hear Bagman informing the crowd that Mullet had been given a penalty shot on the Bulgarian Keeper. The Irish Mascots had swarmed into three giant HA's in response to the penalty. The veela decided to retaliate by dancing once more and Ella noticed Charlie and Fred both gave up on getting the girls to sit in an effort to ward off the veela magic. It was clear as day that the referee was not so lucky this time.

Elbowing the twins, Ella motioned towards the man as he clumsily landed on the field and began to make his way towards the dancing women. It was a cringe worthy sight as he began flexing and attempted to flirt with the creatures. He was not going to be happy when the charm lifted.

"Now we can't have that! Somebody slap the referee!" Ludo Bagman said to the crowd. A mediwizard, answering Ludo's request, raced across the field and aimed a swift quick to Mostafa's shins. Ella went into a fit of giggles at the man's stunned expression before realizing what just happened. As Ella assumed, he was looking very embarrassed by his actions and yelled angrily at the veela.

Bagman leaned forward to look at the scene more closely, "And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots! Now _there's_ something we haven't seen before… Oh this could turn nasty…"

Truer words had yet to be spoken in this match. The Bulgarian Beaters flew down to yell at Mostafa for his actions towards the veela. The two gestured wildly at the leprechauns, who Ella thought were more sassy than rude. The little creatures had formed into "HEE, HEE, HEE" at the moment, which she found more funny than insulting. Probably because she spent so much time with Fred and George. The referee didn't seem to buy their argument either. He kept pointing upwards to make them fly once more, but they wouldn't have it. Ella could honestly see why the referee was pushing so much for this, the entire game had just been put on hold because of some dancing women. Two shrill bursts broke through the noise of the stadium.

"Two penalties for Ireland! And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms…yes…there they go…and Troy takes the Quaffle…" Bagman announced. Ella found herself unable to sit still or shut up as the match went on. It didn't feel like the game could become more violent than it had been before, but she was wrong. The Beaters had taken a new meaning to their name as they began swinging their club at pretty much anything. It didn't matter whether it was the Bludger or the person they were bludgeoning –they were going to whack it. The referee seemed to pick up on the intense atmosphere and realized he couldn't call every foul that played out. It wasn't until Dimitrov shot towards Moran, nearly making her fall off her broom that the crowd had enough.

" _Foul!"_

Ludo Bagman agreed, "Foul! Dimitrov skins Moran –deliberately flying to collide there –and it's got to be another penalty –yes, there the whistle!" Ella yanked the Ominoculars away from the twins to look at the leprechauns. The little creatures formed a giant hand that was making an extremely rude gesture at the veela. It was definitely a way to provoke the women. Ella thought the Irish Mascots were asking to be sent off the field as well, but that idea quickly shifted. They were asking for more than being sent away…they had a death wish.

The beautiful women with silvery hair had quickly vanished and were replaced with very ferocious creatures. Scaly wings burst from their shoulder blades and their faces became birdlike with large, pointy beaks. Ella was rather shocked to watch them hurl fire at the leprechauns. These women had quite the temper.

Quickly handing the Omnioculars back to the twins, Ella said, "Take a look at the pretty veela now." The looks on their faces said everything Ella assumed it would. They looked positively horrified by the Bulgarian Mascots.

"And _that_ , boys, is why you should never go for looks alone!" Mr. Weasley announced. Ella couldn't have agreed more with him. While the Ministry worked to sort of the mess below, the game continued on in the sky.

"Levski! Dimitrov! Moran! Troy! Mullet! Ivanova! Moran again –Moran –MORAN SCORES!" Bagman roared. The Irish supporters yelled, but Ella could only hear the veela's inhuman screeching. Ginny and Ella didn't let that deter them from jumping up and down cheering on the female Chaser.

"I want to be like her!" Ginny kept chanting again and again to Ella who could only nod in agreement. Ella knew Ginny's favorite team was the Holy Head Harpies, an all-girls team, but Moran and Mullet were without a doubt two of the best Chasers in the world.

With hardly a single moment to spare, the game was in full motion once more. The Bulgarian Chasers were in possession of the Quaffle, but an Irish Beater pelted a Bludger directly at Krum, who didn't duck. Ella cringed knowing how much a Bludger to the head hurt. She'd been on the unlucky receiving end of a vicious hit her first year during Quidditch tryouts.

Despite the Seeker's injury, the game didn't stop. Mostafa's attention was currently on his broom, which had been set on fire by one of the veela below.

"NO!" George shouted, Ella quickly turned to him before watching a green blur shoot towards the ground. Ella's eyes widened as Lynch dove.

"He's seen the Snitch!" Harry yelled. "He's seen it! Look at him go!"

And they did.

Everyone watched as the Irish Seeker dove towards what could only be the Golden Snitch. Ella's hands gripped the program she'd bought so hard that her knuckles turned white. She'd seen the outcome of the match. She knew that Krum got the Snitch, but that didn't stop her heart from hammering in her chest. Soon enough, Krum had caught up to Lynch and both men were fighting to make it to the Snitch before the other.

Behind her, Ella could hear Hermione scream, "They're going to crash!"

"They're not!" Ron retorted.

But Harry was the only correct one, "Lynch is!"

In seconds, Lynch had flattened himself on the ground once more only to be trampled by a horde of veela. Ella speculated that it wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't been in their frightening bird form.

"WHERE'S THE SNITCH? WHERE'S THE SNITCH?" Charlie shouted beside Ginny.

"KRUM!" Ella, George, and Fred bellowed excitedly.

The Bulgarian Seeker had blood rushing down his face, but he sat triumphantly on his broom with the Golden Snitch in his hands. Ella looked towards the score board to see BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170. It was the same sight that she'd seen in her dream, but somehow the entire situation seemed so much more wonderful in real life. The sense of déjà vu was overrun by the elation of Ireland winning the Cup.

All around them, the stadium was building to an earsplitting roar as the Ireland fans discovered what happened. Ella, Ginny, and the twins were all on their feet, cheering for the winning team.

The girls hugged each other screaming, "THEY WON, THEY WON, THEY WON!" While the twins whooped and hollered for the team.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted in amazement, adding the final bit of fuel to the fire. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH –BUT IRELAND WINS –good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

Ella smirked and the twins quickly wrapped her in a hug lifting her feet off the ground. Their excitement was almost as infectious as the crowd's. Everyone seemed to be cheering. The Irish could cheer because they won, but in a way Bulgaria had won as well.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," a deep voice stated gloomily. Ella quickly turned around to see the Bulgarian Minister of Magic looking rather dejected while their Minister just looked bewildered.

"You can speak English! And you've been letting me mime everything all day!" Fudge said furiously.

The Bulgarian Minister smirked, "Vell, it vos very funny." Ella snickered at the Minister's outraged expression.

Bagman yelled into the microphone, "And the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself brought into the Top Box!" Their entire area was illuminated and all eyes turned on them. Ella found herself shrinking back into her seat, suddenly afraid of so many eyes being near her. She never really left the shadows. Fred and George were always the center of attention. Even now, when Ella knew she wasn't the focus of the stadium, she felt too exposed, too out in the open.

"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers –Bulgaria!"

The Bulagrian team travelled into their Box looking forlorn, but not to a point where they were going to be sore losers. Each of them had their name called and shook hands with the Ministers of Magic. Krum received the largest amount of applause of anyone on the team. She supposed he deserved it for catching the Snitch after having his nose broken moments before.

As soon as the Bulgarians were done being announced, Ireland's team entered the stands looking ecstatic. Moran and Connolly supported Lynch between the two of them. He grinned despite crashing twice that evening. Ella supposed the brain trauma was worth it to the man since they'd won the Cup. After holding their trophy for a moment, the Irish team went back to do another victory lap.

Bagman finally took the spell off his voice so that only those who were near could hear him.

"They'll be talking about this one for years, a really unexpected twist, that…shame it couldn't have been longer… Ah yes…yes, I owe you….how much?" Bagman rasped as Fred and George made their way over to him. Both were grinning widely at the idea of collecting their winnings.

"Oi! Hello you both," a female voice shouted. Ella and Ginny looked over the wall to see Moran floating there. The rest of the team was beginning to descend, but Mullet and Moran both stayed level with the Top Box.

Ginny's eyes grew, "Us?"

Mullet laughed, "Oh course you two. You couldn't keep your eyes off the game, could you?"

Ella shook her head vigorously, "No, ma'am, you play amazingly. Both of you are the best Chasers I've ever seen!" Ginny nodded vigorously beside her.

"Do you two play?" Moran asked.

"No, but we want to," Ella admitted.

Moran smiled, "Well you should; we need more girls out on the field."

"Any who, nice to meet the two of you," Mullet said and the girls soared away to join their team. Ginny and Ella looked at each other excitedly. Ella had been studying for the past few years to be an Auror, but the idea of being on a Professional Quidditch team seemed surreal to her. Like a dream that was too good to come true.

"Come on girls," Mr. Weasley said. They began walking to the exit. Winky stood near the staircase by herself, Mr. Crouch never showed up.

As they filed out of the box, Ginny stumbled backwards a bit, knocking Ella back as well. She knocked against something and leaped away immediately looking at what she'd hit. There was nothing. Ella turned around cautiously, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had fallen into a person who wasn't there.

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 **A/N: And there you have it! The Quidditch World Cup through Ella's eyes. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and liked the more joking atmosphere with the twins and Ella. What did you think of the female Quidditch players? I hadn't realized there were women on the team until I went back and reread it for writing this part. I'm pretty excited about it (as I told my friend over and over). Anyways, I hope you liked it and as always, please, please, PLEASE review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9: The Dark Mark

**A/N: I do not own the Harry Potter series.**

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The Dark Mark

The group travelled down the stairs in a giant, excited blob. Ella tried to shake the panicked feeling she'd had leaving the Top Box. Her skin crawled like thousands of tiny insects. She could sense that something wasn't right, someone had been there, but she hadn't see anything. Being magic meant that someone could be hidden, but why? Ella shook herself once more, hoping the haunting feeling would eventually go away. Everyone else was celebrating, and she wanted to be happy like them instead of paranoid.

" _Don't_ tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley was telling the boys

Fred scoffed, "Don't worry, Dad, we've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated." Ella rolled her eyes at Fred's transparency. Luckily, Mr. Weasley wasn't one hundred percent against the idea of a joke business. At least the twins are driven in it. He decided to not ask about any details. The less he knew, the less he could have held against him later. Ella couldn't help but feel relieved that everything had gone according to plan for the boys. She'd prevented her vision from happening, they had their money and were much closer to their shop. She felt like skipping but figured that'd look too weird.

The crowds pressed all around them as they made their way back to camp. People were singing and cheers could probably be heard two towns over. Ella felt the fear she had wash away as her very soul became entranced by the celebrations. Whatever exhaustion she'd felt earlier disappeared as the leprechauns shot above her head and around the camp area. They wanted to celebrate just as much as the rest of them. Their whole campsite was buzzing with life, which meant no one wanted to go to sleep quite yet.

"Alright, one cup of cocoa, and then it's off to bed for the lot of you. We've got another early morning ahead of us," Mr. Weasley bartered. Everyone agreed to the deal hoping to listen to a smidge more of the elation around them. Ella and the twins were in full swing with jokes and being completely silly. She didn't usually join them when there were people around, but she felt too giddy in their presence to simply sit. She was with her family, how could she not be completely and totally herself? There was nothing wrong with a little fun.

Soon enough, debates about the match were being hurled around the room with the same speed as the Quaffle. Charlie and Mr. Weasley were discussing cobbing and whether the referee made the right call.

"Krum is _brilliant_!" Ron shouted at Percy. Ella hadn't been paying attention, but that certainly caught the attention of half the room.

Ginny grinned sleepily, "I think you're in love, Ron."

Ron rolls his eyes and mutters, "Shut up."

Ella giggles, "What's the matter? Why not scream your adoration to the world?" Ron grumbled at her statement like any brother would. The twins leaped at the chance to sing some silly, made up song about Ron loving the Quidditch star. Everyone laughed.

"It's funny that you should mention Krum," Mr. Weasley began. "I wouldn't have ever been able to guess that he'd get the Snitch but Ireland would win, and yet here my twins are with the prize money to prove it happen. Now, I know they aren't Seers, but Ella…"

Her cheeks flushed, "I told them not to…" Mr. Weasley just chuckled. Ginny, finally succumbing to her exhaustion, spilt her hot cocoa all over the table.

Hermione and Ella helped drag the younger girl to their tent, which was a smaller version of the boys' tent. Ella was just glad that it didn't smell like cat litter. Ginny, who was already almost completely asleep, changed quickly and fell immediately into a death-like slumber. Hermione drifted away next. Ella listened as her breathing evened out before sighing. Her eyelids felt like led and drooped down over her eyes. After being up for nearly twenty-four hours, Ella was beyond exhausted. Something told her to remain alert. A feeling in her chest fought past the drowsiness, but it was a losing battle. Just as her eyes closed, a flicker of recognition flared in her mind about their campsite.

 _A man took a long swig from a bottle. Ella made the reasonable assumption that he wasn't drinking hot cocoa. His face was almost completely hidden by a dark mask and he passed the drink over to another hooded figure. Turning around, Ella realized that there was a whole mess of these men. Each of them were laughing gruffly and stumbling about._

 _There was a sinister tint to the air._

 _The woodland area around these men made her uneasy. Her head still felt clouded by sleep, as it had the whole day, but she was certain this was her campsite. Was she seeing the past or was this the future?_

 _A bang nearly made Ella jump out of her skin. She turned in the direction of the noise to see a group of men dragging a sleepy looking family out of a cabin. Ella recognized Mr. Roberts instantly._

" _No!" She gasped running to meet the brutes who were man-handling the Muggle's wife and kids. She went to pull out her wand and use one of the jinxes she'd learned in Lupin's class the year before, but her wand wasn't there._

" _I'm asleep."_

Ella shot out of bed. Her jacket was sitting on the back of a chair just a few feet away. Her wand stuck out of the pocket. She threw it on herself just as a scream echoed somewhere around the campsite. Her head still felt clouded; she'd woken up too soon. It couldn't have been more than two hours since they'd gone to sleep.

She burst out of the tent and saw fire in the distance. More screams began to get louder –and closer. Ella's heart pounded. She wanted to race towards where the Muggle family was, but she couldn't let the Weasleys, Hermione, or Harry get hurt. The shrieks were still too far away to wake anyone up, but Ella could feel them coming. The fires getting brighter on the horizon line.

"Mr. Weasley!" Ella said running into the boys' tent. Bill groaned from one of the bunks and she heard Percy mutter something about shutting up, but she wasn't deterred. "Mr. Weasley! You have to wake up! Everybody needs to wake up!"

One of the sleeping forms finally sat up, it was Mr. Weasley.

"Ella? What are you doing up? It's much too early," he mumbled. Ella opened her mouth to respond when a much nearer cry reverberated in the tent, effectively waking up Mr. Weasley as well as his three oldest sons.

"What's happened?" Bill asked urgently.

All eyes were on Ella who quickly relayed her dream to them. Both the one she had just woken up from and the ones from the past year.

"I'm an idiot for not realizing this was where the dream was," she spat bitterly.

Mr. Weasley shook his head, "No, you can't think that way. You can't know everything. Now go wake Ginny and Hermione, I'm sending you lot into the woods where it'll be safer." A blast like a gunshot echoed in the distance. "And quickly!"

Ella dashed back to the tent and shouted, "Get up! Both of you, wake up, now!" Both girls kept snoring. The bangs and jeers started getting closer and Ella's heart began climbing into her throat. In all actuality, Ginny would probably be safe, but if these people had a Muggle family, they wouldn't hesitate to snatch Hermione. It made her sick to think that these people could act the way they did.

She had tried her best to block out the images of her Divinations exam the year before, but the crystal ball's vision was flickering with stunning clarity once again. She hadn't even remembered it this well immediately after the vision. Ella wondered half-heartedly if she was seeing the crystal ball's vision and her own at the same time. Ten minutes had passed since she began coaxing the girls awake. She was losing her patience.

"GET UP!" She bellowed as Mr. Roberts flickered in her mind, floating high above the ground with the rest of his family. Fear and anger boiled in her veins. Both the girls sat up.

"It's still dark…" Ginny groaned. Hermione blinked a few times. She was like a deer noticing headlights coming down a dark street.

Hermione stood up out of bed, "What's that?" The screams had reached a level where they could clearly be heard throughout their tent. A stampede was starting up out front. Ella's anticipation grew, and she gripped her wand even tighter.

"Grab your jackets, no time for clothes….you have to get going," Ella hurriedly stated just as a scream pierced them all into alertness.

Ella dashed back outside as soon as the girls looked like they were moving with enough urgency. The sight that met her was more gruesome than the crystal ball had prepared her for. Everything seemed dim around them as a panicked mess of people fought to get into the forest. A mob of Death Eaters, she remembered their name but wasn't sure whether it came from a dream, a book, or a friend, made their way towards them. The drunkenness Ella had seen in her dream was a large factor into their jeers and shouts. Flashes of light illuminated the sky as the group sent spells arcing in different directions.

Four contorted bodies made Ella's bones freeze like she'd been Petrified again. Mr. Roberts, his wife, and their two children were floating several feet from the ground without any control over what was happening. Even from the distance Ella was at, she could see their bodies struggling to break free of whatever kept them in the air. The tents were falling and being blasted out of the path of these men, but Ella couldn't move her eyes away from the family. Someone in the crowd of Death Eaters twirled Mrs. Roberts upside down so her nightdress fell down. She struggled to cover her undergarments while the men laughed even harder. Ella felt the urge to hurt every one of those hooded figures when a small child began spinning in the air nearly sixty feet from the ground. He was a blur of color, but these monsters only laughed.

Mr. Weasley was speaking, but Ella only caught the last part, "You lot –get into the woods, and _stick together_. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bill, Charlie, and Percy sprinting towards the mob of people. She turned around to see Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looking very lost.

"C'mon!" Fred finally shouted, grabbing onto Ginny's hand. The group turned to go into the forest and Ella nearly followed. A scream echoed through the night causing her to face the hooded figures once more.

A mess of panicked people were now running towards them, but one of the Muggle children had started to cry. Ella surged forward.

"What are you doing?"

Bill grabbed onto her forearm and jerked her away from the brawl she was headed towards. She shook from so many emotions, but all she wanted to do was stop the scene in front of her from happening. Ella's panicked eyes caught Bill's and her flurry of emotions must have been clear as day.

"I have to do something," she told him.

The older boy shook his head, "No, you don't. You're too young to be fighting this battle and there are plenty of Ministry officials here that are allowed to use their magic. You're fifteen, Ella."

"But I saw this happen!" Ella yelled. "I saw this and I didn't stop it beforehand. I owe it to them to put an end to it now!"

"No, you're going into the forest before you can get hurt, we'll discuss this back at home!" He shoved her into the sea of people. Ella followed despite the tears in her eyes blurring the world around her. Elbows were knocking into her ribs and feet kicked her, but she kept moving. Eventually, she got towards the front of the screaming, crying mess of witches and wizards only to see a hooded figure running towards them. The mask covering his face matched the ones from the campsite. The world seemed to explode as the people began to scramble in every direction.

" _Stupify!_ " Ella shrieked. The brilliant red light sent the Death Eater soaring through the air and into a tree. Despite this, everyone was still hysterical.

Through the bumps and shoves, Ella screamed for her friends, "FRED! GEORGE! ANYBODY!"

Ella spun on her heel thinking that she saw someone red headed but was met by a sudden flock of people. They didn't seem to care that a fifteen year old was in their path as they thrust her in every direction. Ella tried to move away, but she tripped over a tree root, twisting her ankle. She barely had time to cry out before the back of her head connected with a rock on the ground, sending her into instant darkness.

"Hello? …hello? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes fluttered for a moment as Ella tried to figure out where she was and what had happened to her. The ground was spongey, which meant she wasn't in the tent. Ella looked up to see an illuminated face peering down at her. It took her a second to recognize who she was with.

"What happened?"

"You fell. No one else seemed to notice, so I moved you before you could get trampled. No one was really looking out for anyone else's safety," Cedric Diggory explained. The pandemonium from earlier had died down dramatically.

Ella glanced around the forest floor. A strange light shone above the trees, casting strange looking shadows around them. Her ankle gave a painful throb and she yelped.

Cedric looked sheepish, "I'm not very good at healing, so I figured it'd be better to leave that be. I can help you get back to your campsite if you'd like. I think the coast is clear."

She nodded, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it… It's Ella, right?" He asked her. Her eyes widened slightly. "Cho has mentioned you in a few of her letters."

"Oh."

Cedric helped her stand up before maneuvering one of her arms around his shoulders. Had it not been for her throbbing ankle and equally pounding head, Ella probably would've been blushing. She couldn't help but admire Cedric for going out of his way to help her. Everyone else was so absorbed in saving themselves, and this boy, who she had never really talked to, saved her. It was very brave, but it was more than that. Ella had seen many brave things done just so that they could brag later, but Cedric just helped her get away. He didn't fight through a hundred people to make sure she got out alive. He moved her from a dangerous area to a safer one because she couldn't. He didn't want to boast to his friends, he did it because he was kind enough to protect someone who was hurt. She'd never really thought much about people like Cedric Diggory, but there weren't many of them left. It was no wonder Cho liked him. Ella couldn't imagine someone who'd make a better ally…a better friend.

The two limped along until they finally reached the edge of the forest. Ella looked up to see what had illuminated the sky so much while they were in the forest. A green skull stood in stark contrast with the night sky, precisely as it had in Ella's dream. The snake slithered out of its smoky mouth like a terrifying new constellation.

"What it that?" Cedric asked as they both stopped walking.

Ella's eyes didn't leave the sky, "It's called the Dark Mark. Vol –You-Know-Who and his supporters would make it flash above people's houses in order to show everyone that the person in that house was dead."

Cedric looked at her, slightly startled, "You don't think…?"

She shook her head, "No, I highly doubt that anyone is dead, but I should probably get back to the tent and you should get back to yours." He nodded slightly before helping her stagger the rest of the way towards the WEEZLY sign.

She moved the tent flap to the side only to see Bill, Charlie, and Percy standing around the kitchen area looking exhausted. They all looked up when Ella and Cedric entered the tent.

"Ella!" Percy said in surprise. She must have looked pretty bad off by the boys' shocked expressions.

"Hullo," she whispered. Cedric mumbled something that Ella assumed was goodbye before leaving. Charlie helped her over to a chair to look at her swollen ankle. She told the boys what happened to her, the parts she could remember anyway, after Bill pushed her towards the forest. Ella noticed that Charlie wasn't hurt, while the other two were. Bill's arm was bleeding as was Percy's nose. They all seemed like they'd had an eventful night. Fred, George, and Ginny arrived shortly after Ella had started icing her ankle. She prayed that Mr. Weasley was good with healing spells because there was no way she'd be able to walk through the campsite on her ankle without some magic being involved.

"Where did you go?" Fred asked as soon as he saw her.

"To France, I hear it looks lovely at this time of year. Where do you think I went?" Fred huffed before noticing her ankle.

"Are you alright?"

The look of concern on Fred's face made Ella regret her tone, she shrugged, "I was practically trampled earlier, but Cedric Diggory helped me out of it. I didn't come out completely unscathed, but I'm quite a bit better than I would've been otherwise."

Fred nodded, unable to say anything. The three siblings looked like they'd been scared half to death, but otherwise unhurt. The group sat in the kitchen without saying a word. Charlie leaned halfway out the door to watch for Arthur and the trio. Soon enough, the final four remaining people were safely in the tent.

"Did you get them, Dad? The person who conjured the Mark?" Bill abruptly asked.

Arthur sighed, "No, we found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."

" _What_?" The three older boys said together. Ella's mouth hung open at the idea of the little House Elf being caught in the midst of the Dark Mark.

Fred looked startled by a different aspect of the statement, "Harry's wand?"

" _Mr. Crouch's elf?_ " Percy gaped.

Realizing how strange all this sounded to those who weren't present, Mr. Weasley immediately began to recap what he knew along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. No one dared to interrupt the tale, no matter how much they were tempted to. Ella could see the blocks falling into place, but she still didn't understand why the Death Eaters all ran when the Mark went into the sky, or why someone had put it there in the first place.

"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that! Running away when he'd expressly told her not to…embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry….how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control–"

"She didn't do anything –she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione snapped at Percy. Everyone looked at her in shock. Hermione was on nearly as good of terms with Percy as Ella was. They probably would have been on even ground if Hermione spent as much time with the Weasleys as Ella did. Ella hadn't cared for Percy's opinion on Mr. Crouch's decision, but she hadn't planned on expressing this.

Percy cleared his throat and retorted haughtily, "Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!"

"She didn't run amok!" Hermione shouted. "She just picked it up off the ground!" Ella carefully reached out from the chair she was sitting in to grab Hermione's arm. Her ice pack falling, unnoticed onto the floor. The girl was still extremely worked up, but Ella could feel a hint of the tension release.

"Look, can someone explain what that skull thing was?" Ron said, breaking apart the argument. "It wasn't hurting anyone… Why's it such a big deal?" Ella looked down towards the ground while most of the others just looked curious.

Hermione, proving to Ella that she wasn't the only Muggle born who knew a lot about the magical world, replied, "I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron. I read about it in _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts._ " Ella looked towards Hermione, feeling impressed. She needed to swap books with her sometime.

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years. Of course people panicked…it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again," Mr. Weasley said quietly.

Ella swallowed the cotton ball in her throat. She could hear the prophesy about Pettigrew and Voldemort echoing around in her skull like a never-ending tunnel. _He will rise again…. He will rise again… He will rise again, greater and more terrible than ever before._ A shiver travelled down her spine. It felt like a hand was resting against her shoulder, not in support, but ownership. Ella shook her head. She would never allow that to happen.

"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed. The terror it inspired…you have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside… Everyone's worst fear…the very worst," Mr. Weasley whispered.

The tent was silent as everyone absorbed the idea. Ella found herself unable to make eye contact with anyone. If Voldemort was going to come back, then how many of them would see a Dark Mark before he was defeated once more…if he could be defeated, that is.

"Well, it didn't help tonight, whoever conjured it. It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it. They all Disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Robertses before they hit the ground, though. They're having their memories modified right now." Bill explained, and Ella found herself agreeing with changing their memories, despite her opinion that morning.

"Death Eaters? What are Death Eaters?" Harry asked. Ella found the question somewhat ironic, coming from the boy who brought about the downfall of Voldemort as a baby, but he was raised by Muggles –he wouldn't know about anything like this.

Bill answered, "It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves. I think we saw what's left of them tonight –the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban anyway."

Mr. Weasley shook his head, "We can't prove it was them Bill. Though it probably was…"

"Oh, I can assure you it was," Ella muttered darkly.

Ron nodded, "Yeah, I bet it was! Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of those nutters in masks! And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"

Harry began to say, "But what were Voldemort's supporters…" Everyone suddenly flinched at Voldemort's name. Ella glanced around remembering that no one in the wizarding world dared to say Voldemort. Even Hermione, who was raised in the Muggle world, winced like the word could inflict some sort of pain on her. Ella found the man behind the name terrifying beyond all reason. Seeing him in her dreams, listening to him goad her in the present and the future haunted her worst nightmares, but his name never seemed to be an issue. A name, was only a name. She may have feared the man, but she'd be damned if she gave his name the fear it usually demanded.

"Sorry," Harry muttered quickly. "What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

Mr. Weasley gave a hollow laugh, "The point? Harry, that's their idea of fun. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun." Ella closed her eyes, feeling the pain of thousands of confused Muggles subjected to all sorts of cruel behavior by those with a power they didn't have. Ella didn't want her power to become corrupt. What if that golden orb she kept inside her turned black as night? "I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them."

Ron's eye brows were furrowed in thought, "But if they _were_ Death Eaters, why did they Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark? They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?" Ella nodded fervently before seeing Bill's face.

"Use your brains, Ron. If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives… I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"

"So… whoever conjured the Dark Mark… were they doing it to show support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?" Hermione asked cautiously. Ella took a deep breath at the idea. She could only imagine what the person had been thinking. Part of her wondered if she wanted to imagine what they were thinking.

Mr. Weasley shook his head, "Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione. But I'll tell you this…it was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now… Listen, it's very late, and if your mother hears what's happened she'll worry sick. We'll get a few more hours of sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here."

The boys shuffled back to their beds while Ginny and Hermione left to go back to their tent. Ella stayed sitting in her chair as Mr. Weasley made his way to her. During the conversation, she hadn't paid any attention to her swelling ankle. Now that her distraction was over, the pain began thumping back into the limelight.

"Let's have a look at that," Arthur murmured. Ella nodded as he moved to touch it. Without meaning to, Ella sucked in a painful breath the moment he made contact with the puffy ankle. His eye brows leapt up, "Well, I was going to ask if that hurt, but I think you answered my question before I could ask it." She nodded once more, biting her lip to keep quiet. He pulled out his wand and cast some sort of spell. The throbbing died down to a dull ache and her ankle started to return to its normal size.

"Wow," she whispered. Ella didn't move it around for fear it would break again.

Arthur smiled, "It'll still be tender in the morning, but you'll at least be able to walk most of the way to the Portkey without trouble."

With a little help, Mr. Weasley moved Ella back to the girls' tent. For the rest of the night, Ella tossed and turned trying to fall back asleep. Dawn would break through the night sky before Ella could drift into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: So, how was that? Hopefully suspenseful. I'm trying to keep the updates regular, but I'm going back to school. Your reviews and support are extremely helpful with keeping me on task and up to date with this story! :) So please, please review!**


	10. Chapter 10: Mayhem at the Ministry

**A/N: I do not own the Harry Potter series. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

Mayhem at the Ministry

Ella felt completely exhausted as she, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys made their away across the campsite early that morning. She'd tossed and turned for many hours, but sleep never came. She supposed it was for the best –she couldn't stand the idea of having another dream. The three older boys decided to take a Portkey back with their family as an extra precaution. They probably would've been fine if they had Apparated, but Bill insisted that they all stick together.

"Merry Christmas!" Mr. Roberts yelled as they passed his cottage. Ella frowned at the poor man. His eyes were unfocused and his clothes were disheveled.

Mr. Weasley didn't look very happy either as he explained to all of them, "He'll be all right. Sometimes, when a person's memory's modified, it makes him a bit disoriented for a while…and that was a big thing they had to make him forget."

They continued on past the cottage and towards the area where they first crashed into. A Portkey mine field was currently set up around the marsh, which Ella thought looked very similar to a landfill. A great deal of witches and wizards were currently standing around Basil, the poor, exhausted man from the day before. Ella assumed they would've gotten someone else to help this morning, considering he'd been on this duty for three days now, but it would appear the Ministry didn't believe in rest. Mr. Weasley quickly talked to the wizard before coming back and ushering them all into a line.

One rubber tire later, the group had landed back on Stoatshead Hill –this time without crashing to the ground in a confused puddle of people. The sky was still a light grey when Ella regained her bearings. The sun only started to peek through the diminishing night sky as they walked towards the Burrow.

No one spoke. Ella wasn't sure if this was due to hunger, exhaustion, or fear from the night before. Ella didn't feel very hungry, but her bones felt tired at this point. Her ankle also was beginning to throb once more. It hadn't given her too much trouble through the campsite, but as they walked down the hill and towards their home, Ella found herself falling behind the pack.

"You're going to be left behind," Charlie whispered to her. He motioned for the twins to keep walking as he slowed down to match Ella's hobble.

She glared at him before mumbling, "I can't go any faster… 'M sorry."

Charlie looked at her for a minute before laughing, "All right, get on."

"Excuse me?"

"My back," Charlie clarified. "We won't make it to the Burrow until noon at the rate you're going. You need that ankle looked at, and Mum is an excellent healer when it comes to things like this."

Ella grinned, "She'd have to be growing up with you and the twins."

He chuckled, "Exactly, now get on before I decide I'm too tired."

For the rest of the journey, Charlie carried Ella on his back. She felt slightly silly with her arms wrapped around his neck, but at the same time, she was too tired to complain or argue. Her ankle felt much better without any weight on it and Charlie did have a point, she never would have made it to the Burrow without any help.

They finally turned around a corner to see the Burrow. Ella could help the smile that stretched across her face. It felt good to nearly be home. She wanted to sleep.

"Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as she raced to meet them. She looked beyond worried –she still had her slippers on. Her face was pale and the _Daily Prophet_ was being clutched so tightly her knuckles were white. "Arthur –I've been worried – _so worried_!" She threw herself into a hug with her husband. Ella smiled even wider at the amount of love between the two. She hoped to have someone love her that much one day.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes quickly scanned their tired group with red eyes. "You're all right, you're alive. _Oh boys!_ " Molly grabbed Fred and George before they could figure out what had happened. Their heads collided with a bang as she hugged them with all the strength she could muster.

" _Ouch!_ Mum –you're strangling us!" Fred grunted slightly.

"I shouted at you before you left! It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred…George!"

Mr. Weasley smiled slightly and told her, "Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay." He began to steer her back towards the house. "Bill, pick up that paper, I want to see what it says." Bill scooped up the paper and Charlie carried Ella into the kitchen. She slid off of his back and into a chair. Hermione, having two good ankles, went into the kitchen to make Mrs. Weasley tea. Ella watched Mr. Weasley slip something that looked like Fire Whiskey into the tea, but Ella figured it may be the best for her nerves. Molly sat next to Ella quietly sipping her tea. She was still focused on the events of the night before and hadn't noticed Ella's ankle, another thing she assumed would be for the best.

"I knew it," Mr. Weasley all but groaned. " _Ministry blunders….culprits not apprehended…lax security…national disgrace…_ Who wrote this? Ah, of course… Rita Skeeter." Ella looked up from her ankle in confusion. She didn't recognize that name, which was a very rare occurrence for her.

Percy growled, "That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic! Last week she said we were wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, when we should be stamping out vampires! As if it wasn't specifically stated in paragraph twelves of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans –"

"Do us a favor, Perce, and shut up," Bill said yawning.

"I'm mentioned…" Mr. Weasley said scanning the article with even wider eyes.

Molly choked on her tea and Ella lightly tapped her on the back, "Where? If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"

Arthur shook his head, "Not by name…. Listen to this: ' _If the terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen.'_ Oh really… Nobody _was_ hurt. What was I supposed to say? _Rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods…_ well, there certainly will be rumors now she's printed that. Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over."

"I'll come with you, Father! Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person," Percy said puffing out his chest. Ella could see both twins mimicking him out of the corner of her eye. She, personally, didn't feel like this was a good time to hand in a report, but far be it from her to stop Percy. The two men made their way out of the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley frowned, "Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday! This hasn't got anything to do with your office; surely they can handle this without you?"

"I've got to go, Molly. I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off…" He bolted from the room before anyone else could stop him.

Harry looked up suddenly and asked, "Mrs. Weasley, Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?"

Molly didn't even look at Harry before saying distractedly, "Hedwig, dear? No…no, there hasn't been any post at all." Ella looked over at the three fourth years suspiciously. Had Harry sent Sirius a letter? It was one of the only things Ella could imagine Harry being panicked about. The three quickly escaped from the Kitchen to go to Ron's room.

Ella remained in the room only to watch as Mr. Weasley and Percy bustled about before leaving. Everyone seemed apprehensive. Ella bit her tongue to avoid mentioning the fact she needed her ankle mended. It was silly, really, but she didn't want to intrude on any of the conversation. Bill was giving her a pointed look that Ella knew she wanted to avoid. He told her that the two of them would talk at the Burrow. The last thing she wanted to do at the current moment was talk to Bill –she wanted to sleep.

"Hey Bill…Charlie, want to play Quidditch with Harry and me?" Ron asked excitedly. The two boys looked exhausted, but the expression on their faces said they couldn't sleep.

Bill smiled, "Sure! Gives us time to see that Firebolt in person."

Charlie nodded, "Fred, George, you two in?"

The two responded by racing Harry and Ron out the door. Ella soon found herself alone with Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. Her teeth were clenched, but her ankle certainly didn't hurt as badly as the night before. Molly sighed.

"I don't see why they had to go in to work today. The article didn't name Arthur specifically; he could've played dumb –though, I suppose that isn't setting a good example for the rest of our family."

"He'll be alright, Molly. He's doing what he thinks is right," Ella told her with a slight smile.

Molly nodded before looking at Ella concerned, "Are you hurt? You were on Charlie's back earlier, and you haven't left that chair."

Ella sighed, "It's my ankle. I twisted it when I was running away. I don't know what Mr…Arthur did to it, but he didn't mend it, that's for certain."

Mrs. Weasley began to fret and insisted she take a look at the foot in question. After a few waves of her wand she was able to completely heal it. She smiled.

"There you are, good to go! It is curious though," she told her cryptically.

"What is?"

"Well, you had a full break to that ankle, I could tell. Arthur simply put a charm on it to make the swelling go down and take some pain away. It's all I detected when looking at it. And yet, the bone had already began healing before I was able to fix it the rest of the way," she explained.

Ella gave her a confused look, "But, shouldn't it have started to heal?"

"Yes, but not to the extent it had. It looked like it had been a few weeks since you'd been hurt, but that can't be possible. I would've been able to see if he'd used more than one spell, do you remember if he did?" Molly prodded.

She shook her head, "No, I remember only one wave of his wand. He didn't do anything more." Mrs. Weasley looked at her ankle curiously for a moment longer.

"Must be something your magic responds to, nothing to worry about. Why don't you go cheer the boys on?" She said. Ella nodded and smiled before jumping off the chair and racing outside. With her ankle healed, she felt a lot more energetic. She didn't notice the concerned look on Molly's face as she left.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of Quidditch games and sleep. No one really talked about the Quidditch World Cup…it was still too fresh in their minds. Every time Ella closed her eyes, she saw the glittering Dark Mark floating across the sky. The stars had extinguished in her memory leaving only the creepy green glow illuminating the sky. During the third rematch, Ginny gave Ella a meaningful look. She wanted to play Quidditch, soon. Ella figured it wouldn't be that night, but it certainly would be very soon. Ella couldn't wait to get back on a broom; she wanted the sense of freedom that came with flying.

As it turned out, Mother Nature had other plans for the area as she set loads of rain and storms crashing into the Burrow. Ginny and Ella would stare out the window in a dejected state for hours on end, praying that the rain would clear one night just so they could go out and fly. There wasn't much going on the night before they would leave for Hogwarts. No one had mentioned the Quidditch World Cup yet, everyone was still terrified of the events that conspired. Percy had just been explaining how bad things were at the Ministry. Apparently people thought sending Howlers was a good way to get things fixed. Ella found it ridiculous. A strongly worded letter was one thing, but a Howler? That seemed like more of a hindrance than a way to get the Ministry up and running.

"So…time to talk?" Bill sat down across from Ella after dinner. Fred and George were across the room with their heads put together.

Ella glanced at the others around them, "Is this really the best place for this?"

"You've been avoiding me at every other moment, so I believe it is," Bill stated. Ella sighed.

"I don't know what there is to talk about, I told you why I went after the Death Eaters… I realize now it was stupid of me, but in the heat of the moment, I only wanted to help," Ella tried to convince him.

Bill raised his eye brows, "While I'm sure that's part of it, it's certainly not the full story. You said that you owed it to these people because you couldn't stop the future. You really think that?"

"Of course I do!" She nearly shouted. Ella glanced around the room noticing that everyone was still focused on their own little tasks. She whispered, "I see these thing –terrible thing –and yet I can't stop them. I should have recognized that the campsite was something straight out of my dreams. I can't tell you how many times I've seen it, been terrified of it. The Robertses didn't deserve that. No one deserves to be thrown into the air by a group of demented wizards!"

For a moment, Bill didn't speak; then he slowly told her, "I can't even imagine how you feel with things like this. I'm not going to pretend I know what it feels like to see something awful happen and then not stop it, but I don't think you should ever be upset by this."

"But –"

"No buts. Ella, you're fifteen years old –you haven't even taken your O.W.L.s yet. You can't expect to change the future…I know I don't understand….but I feel like some things are concrete. There are portions of the future that no matter how much you want to, you can't change them. I don't know how it feels for you, and I'm sure that it can be downright awful. You see things before anyone else and by the sound of it, some of those things are unimaginable. I just want to tell you that you cannot blame yourself for the future you see happening."

She looked up at the Weasley she knew least well, and how much he genuinely cared for her state of mind. The last thing he wanted was for her to believe she was at fault. He was right, she supposed. No one was supposed to see the future and even when she changed something, something always stayed the way she saw it. Ella saved Harry and Hermione from Lupin the year before, but Pettigrew still managed to escape. She was fighting a losing battle, but she would still fight –even if most of it would be futile.

"What are you two up to?" Mrs. Weasley asked the twins. Ella had been wondering the same thing but figured they would tell her soon enough.

Fred barely looked up, "Homework."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're still on holiday," their mother argued.

"Yeah, we've left it a bit late," George responded.

Mrs. Weasley looked at the two suspiciously, "You're not by any chance writing out a new _order form,_ are you? You wouldn't be thinking of restarting Weasley Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?" Ella knew that both the boys were smart enough not to do that under the watchful eye of their mother. They hardly needed a repeat of the morning before the Quidditch World Cup. The toffies were still neatly packed under Fred's bed.

Fred looked up at Molly with a sad expression, "Now, Mum, if the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died, how would you feel to know that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?" Ella rolled her eyes. She'd heard them use this new tactic four times since Mrs. Weasley bombarded them in the front yard. Everyone laughed, even Molly.

"Oh you're father's coming!" Mrs. Weasley announced as their clock turned from "Work" to "Travelling" for Mr. Weasley. A call rang out from the kitchen. "Coming, Arthur!"

Soon enough, Mr. Weasley was entering the living room looking exhausted. His dinner was sitting on a little tray so he could still talk with his family. He smiled tiredly at the others around the room before starting to talk.

"Well, the fat's really in the fire now. Rita Skeeter's been ferreting around all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report. And now she's found out about poor Bertha going missing, so that'll be the headline in the _Prophet_ tomorrow. I _told_ Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her ages ago."

Percy piped up from his chair, "Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks."

"Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky. There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark," Mr. Weasley told Percy shortly.

"I thought we were all agreed that that elf, while irresponsible, did _not_ conjure the Mark?" Percy retorted. Ella had never seen both men acting so angered.

"If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the _Daily Prophet_ knows how mean he is to elves!" Hermione snapped.

Ella glanced over at the twins and mouthed, _"Here we go again."_ Both boys heaved dramatic, yet silent, sighs.

"Now look here, Hermione! A high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unswerving obedience from his servants –"

"His _slave_ , you mean!" Hermione nearly shouted, "because he didn't _pay_ Winky, did he?"

"I think you'd all better go upstairs and check that you've packed properly! Come on now, all of you…" Mrs. Weasley said, ushering all the students upstairs. Ella sighed knowing that she and Ginny would be lulled to sleep that night by the sound of pouring rain and Hermione's ranting.

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 **A/N: How was that? A little shorter than I'm used to, but I've had a busy week! Hope you all enjoyed it! And please, please, please review! :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Aboard the Hogwarts Express

**Wow! Long time no post, huh? I can only profusely apologize to you all about this. As always I don't own anything Harry Potter, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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Aboard the Hogwarts Express

 _Ella felt uneasy every time she saw the Dark Mark. This dream was threatening to drive her completely insane._

 _So far, she had seen the glittering skull above the Quidditch Pitch, a cottage in the middle of nowhere, and a Muggle news station. She was sufficiently terrified by this point in time. She hadn't seen what had happened to the people that were inside of the building the Dark Mark hung over, but it was obvious. There was no need to imagine the facts that were glaring at her. The only thing she couldn't figure out was whether this was the past or the future._

 _The past would be an awful thing to see currently because nothing could prevent it. The lives were already lost, and families were already torn apart. Ella hated that idea, but she hated the idea of this being the future even more. How could she not? The future meant Voldemort was at large and his followers were killing innocent people everywhere. Even the thought that this could be a mixture of both unsettled Ella. Any future Dark Marks were too many._

 _She couldn't recognize any of the homes that were popping up in front of her. There had to be hundreds of different houses, in different places with the Dark Mark looming above like the angel of death itself._

" _No!" A scream like a wounded animal came from behind her. Ella turned around to see Mrs. Weasley. She looked much younger than she had in the past. Arthur stood beside her. His hair was fuller and neither of them had some of the wrinkles Ella had seen the last several years. Mr. Weasley threw his arms around his wife as she tried to race into the house._

" _Let go of me!" She shrieked through her tears. Mr. Weasley just shook his head quietly and held tighter. Ella wanted to turn away from the sight, but she couldn't manage it. It wasn't until the scene melted away that Ella found herself no longer paralyzed._

 _The new scene was worse. Hogwarts was a silhouette in the distance, but just above the Astronomy Tower stood the Dark Mark. Ella's eyes widened and she tried to run for the school. With every centimeter she ran, another meter grew between her and her beloved school. Ella needed to know whether this was the past or the present. She had never heard about the Dark Mark being at Hogwarts, but there couldn't be Death Eaters there in the future, could there?_

" _Don't you want to change the future?" Voldemort whispered into her ear. "It's in big trouble."_

 _Suddenly, Ella was standing in the middle of the ruins of Hogwarts like she had before. Flashes of green swirled around her and she saw giant spiders crawling through the hall. There were no people, but she could hear the screaming and crying from all over the Great Hall._

Ella jolted awake as Molly had begun waking up Ginny and Hermione. She glanced over at Ella who tried to school her expression as quickly as she could.

"Extra bit of food for you dear," Mrs. Weasley said softly as her way of comforting Ella. The girls quickly got dressed and went back downstairs to eat. Mr. Weasley had already left for the day, apparently an Ex-Auror named Mad-Eye Moody needed help. Ella was only slightly discouraged that she hadn't been able to properly tell her father figure goodbye before leaving for school, but she decided that she'd send a letter to him when she arrived at school.

Mrs. Weasley was brave enough to go into town and use a telephone to hail three taxis for all of them to get to King's Cross station. While she was in town, Ella and the rest of her friends decided to play Exploding Snap to pass the time. Ella and Hermione were evenly matched in how awful they were. As the boys sniggered at them, they vowed to show them up in some Muggle games. When the cars all arrived, none of the drivers looked very happy. Ella figured that driving all the way to London in the rain would be something they wouldn't care for. Then as they loaded the owls and trunks into their cars, Fred's trunk fell open, setting off a dozen Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks. Crookshanks latched himself so tightly on the man that Ella assumed it was nothing short of magic that caused his to let go.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were pushed into one taxi while Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie were put in another. Ella, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley found themselves in the last taxi. Rowena's cage sat on Ella's lap and the owl hooted grumpily ever so often when the car hit a bump in the road. Ella peered through the bars of the cage.

"It's better in here than the rain, you know," she whispered to the bird. Rowena looked at her skeptically, "I'll let you out when we get to school. You'll be able to fly about to your heart's content, but I guarantee you won't want to in this weather." Her owl hooted annoyed, and Ella simply smiled at the moody little creature.

When they finally reached King's Cross station, the rain fell from the sky like a hurricane. By the time they made it across the street and into the station, Ella's hair was sticking to her face and dripped down her cheeks.

"Looks like we just decided to go for a swim in our clothes," Fred grumbled to Ella.

She laughed, "I wonder if this will keep up throughout the school year."

George shook his head causing water to spatter in different directions, "Hope not. Quidditch practices will be damn near impossible in these conditions." Ella kept her mouth shut. She knew that there wouldn't be a Quidditch season this year, but if she revealed that, she would have to tell them about the entire tournament just so they wouldn't be upset.

The three of them entered the platform after Harry, Ron, and Hermione since Ella began getting odd looks because of Rowena. The Hogwarts Express looked beautiful amid the crowds of students. Ella had only a second to admire it before spotting at least four of her other friends from school. They quickly grabbed a compartment with Lee, Katie, and Alicia before hopping off to tell the other Weaselys goodbye.

Charlie gave Ella a quick hug before turning to Ginny who had just finished hugging Bill, "I might be seeing you all sooner than you think." Charlie hugged his biological sister as Fred gave him a suspicious look.

"Why?" He asked.

"You'll see, just don't tell Percy I mentioned it… it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all," Charlie mocked.

Bill grinned, "Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year."

George's eyes narrowed to match his twin's, " _Why?_ "

"You're going to have an interesting year. I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it…" Bill continued mischievously.

"A bit of _what?_ " Ron said. The others were all frustrated and excited by the riddles. Ella watched them feeling a hint of smugness since she already knew, but also feeling left out for not getting to feel any excitement for the unknown.

A shrill whistle broke through their conversation.

"Off you lot go!" Mrs. Weasley said giving Ella one last hug before shooing them all towards the train. Ella hopped on behind the twins and waved to Molly and the older boys as the train began to pick up momentum and they disappeared.

The three made their way towards their compartment and slid into the room with Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. Ella settled in next to the window. A slight chill rose off the glass, but she was more focused on her friends instead of the minor discomfort. If anything, the window only briefly reminded her of the previous year when she faced her first dementor. Hopefully, there would be no guards of Azkaban on the train this year.

"How were your seats for the World Cup?" Lee asked Ella and the twins.

Fred shook his head in wonder, "We couldn't have asked for better."

"When Ireland won we were all inches away from the players, right Ella?" George said.

"Some of the Irish players talked to Ginny and I," Ella couldn't help but brag.

Angelina, Katie, and Alicia shot envious looks towards them. They'd all been present, but the Weasleys had certainly gotten the best seats of the bunch. Ella still couldn't believe their luck. Every time she thought of the game, adrenaline pumped through her system as though she were back in the seats watching the professionals zip around the field.

The group talked about the best moments of the match up until the trolley came. By this time, the world outside was pitch black with rain spattering viciously against the windows. Fog creeped up the side of it and Ella found herself watching the little droplets streak down the window pane outside.

Alicia glanced over, "Hope this isn't an omen for how the year is going to go."

Katie's eyes drifted towards the stormy weather, "You're telling me, you lot don't have O.W.L.s this year. If this is supposed to characterize the year, Ella and I are in big trouble."

" _Big trouble….big trouble…big trouble."_

"Ella?"

Her head snapped up to look at all of her friends, "Yes?"

"You went pale for a moment," Angelina informed her.

She looked back out the window and tried to shake Voldemort's warning out of her head, "It's nothing. I'm just nervous for the O.W.L.s is all. They're supposed to open all sorts of doors for us and if I don't do just right, it'll close a lot more."

Katie snorted, "Right, because the smartest student in our year should be worried about doing well. Are you afraid you won't be getting all O's in everything?"

Ella laughed, "I suppose I shouldn't worry too much."

"You really shouldn't, Ella. You've got the brains of a Ravenclaw," Fred told her and George nodded fervently.

"Anyway," Alicia said after an awkward pause, "who's the Quidditch Captain this year? I thought for certain it'd be Angelina, but she said she didn't get it."

"It's not me," Katie insisted. "I doubted it would be, not with all of you on the team still."

The twins glanced at each other before chiming in, "Not us."

"And it's not Harry either. Mrs. Weasley would have thrown an absolute fit if it had been. You know how your mother is," Ella told the twins who both shrugged in compliance.

"That's so odd," Angelina whispered.

Fred looked up sharply, "Speaking of odd, our brothers and parents kept alluding to something going on at Hogwarts this year."

"Malfoy did the same thing on the platform! He was telling Warrington about whatever it was –something big mind you. He saw me watching and smirked. Little git," Alicia hissed.

Katie leaned forward, "Do you think that's why there's been no word about Quidditch Captains?"

"What do you think Ella?" George asked her. Ella had been intent on staring at her hands, but now everyone had turned to her.

"Ella?" Fred asked. She didn't want to ignore them, but she didn't want to say anything either.

The smirk was evident in Lee's voice, "She knows what's going to happen." A chorus of "tell us" bubbled from all areas of the compartment causing Ella to inwardly cringe. In a matter of hours they'd be told anyway, so why didn't they have to know now? She could feel her patience dissipating quickly as they became more adamant.

"I'm not saying a word," Ella told them. "You'll hear it for yourselves at the feast. Be happy you're able to be surprised because some of us don't get the chance to feel so excited about anything."

Silence followed the statement as they all let her words sink in. No one wanted to force Ella to reveal the future or to ruin their surprise. Ella found herself unable to meet their gazes. A fire of jealousy was burning through her stomach. She'd felt it since the Quidditch World Cup when the outcome was ruined for her by her so called gift. While knowing the future seemed wonderful or at least helpful at times, Ella could help but feel fed up by never getting to be surprised. Nothing seemed to shock her, at least nothing fun. The fun things were always spoiled, but the truly awful things seemed to knock her off her feet. If only it could be the other way around for once.

"Sorry…" Ella mumbled finally. The tension began to dissipate in the room and soon enough they were back to joking. No one broached the subject of the mysterious event again, but Ella tried not to dwell on that. Fred and George were keeping the entire compartment entertained and up to date on the latest Weasley's Wizard Wheezes merchandise ideas.

"We're getting to work the moment we step foot on the grounds," George said popping a few Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans into his mouth.

Fred looked at his twin briefly, "Of course, he means after the feast. We wouldn't dream of missing that."

"Of course not. We're starving."

"Why am I not surprised?" Ella teased the boys who merely rolled their eyes at her. "If I've learned anything from you and your brothers, it's that you can never be too full, and if you are full –it won't last long."

"Please, I've spent a fraction of the time you have with the twins and I could guess that," Angelina scoffed.

Katie giggled, "And Lee isn't much different."

Lee glanced between the people in the compartment looking affronted, "I am feeling very attacked right now."

"And that differs from usual?" Katie snickered.

The train began to slow, but the rain pounded the windows as hard as ever. The group of friends looked out the dark window and shivered. Ella gazed out into the night feeling a sense of dread she had never associated with Hogwarts before. She wanted nothing more than to be in the warmth of the castle with her friends. A haunting feeling settled into her stomach that the Common Room wouldn't be enough to ease her fears for the coming year.

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 **A/N: Like I said before, I am so very sorry. School really required my full attention, but you should all know I'm not going to give up on this story ever. Please review and let me know how you liked this chapter! (And that some of you are still out there and don't hate me!)**


	12. Chapter 12: The Triwizard Tournament

**I don't own anything, all rights belong to J.K. Rowling.**

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The Triwizard Tournament

Ella's hair was dripping after a few seconds in the downpour they'd been avoiding for the past several hours. The rain came down in such thick sheets it was impossible to see the castle from their place in Hogsmeade. Even Hagrid's towering form was obscured by the gale. The returning students broke into a full sprint to get inside the carriages that would take them up to the school. Angelina, Alicia, Katie, and Katie's friend from Muggle studies, Leanne, took one carriage while Fred, George, Lee, and Ella huddled into the one behind it.

Fred shook his head sending water flying around the magically heated area. Ella shoved his arm, "What are you? A dog? Save that for outside."

"You've got a better idea?" He retorted while squeezing the water out of his robes.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Ella took out her wand and with a quick spell, she was able to dry a lot of her robes before turning and helping the boys. "Maybe if you paid attention in class you'd be able to remember things like this."

"Why is that necessary? I've got you, haven't I?" Fred replied. Despite the chill that still clung to Ella's skin, she felt heat rise to her face and turned to help George dry the rest of his robes. George caught her eye with a mischievous look of his own. Instead of confronting him, she looked away from him as well.

Lee glanced out the window even though he couldn't see anything, "Poor first years –they'll be swimming to the castle at this rate."

"I don't envy them, but I do hope they're alright," she said following Lee's gaze. The blurred specks of light from the castle started to make their way out of the darkness.

"Brace yourselves, mates," George said as the carriage pulled up to the steps of the castle. He jumped out and the rest of them followed behind. The archway provided some shelter from the storm, but Ella's eyes were focused on the warmth radiating from the Great Hall just past the doors. She was merely a few steps away–

"AH!"

Ella screamed as an ice cold water balloon fell on her head. She looked up to see Peeves cackling above the students. He zipped around gleefully letting his bombs drop on the already sopping wet students.

"PEEVES YOU MONSTER GET DOWN HERE SO I CAN STRANGLE YOU!" Ella bellowed before dodging a second balloon. This one ended up splattering Katie, Angelina, and Alicia. Fred began to maneuver Ella into the Great Hall as he held in his laughter.

"You're picking fights with the wrong creature, Ella," Fred laughed as they finally made it indoors. Water dripped off their robes and hair as they made their way to Gryffindor's table.

Ella tried moving the soaking wet hair that had plastered itself on her face, "If I ever die, I'm becoming the next Bloody Baron and instilling every ounce of fear I can muster into that stupid poltergeist."

Fred laughed, "Calm down there. I'm hoping you've got a while until you can make good on that threat. For now, maybe focus on getting dry before we create a new lake under the table."

"This spell is a life saver!" Katie gushed finally sitting in the seat.

Angelina nodded, "You have no idea, it's the soul reason I got an O in charms, I'm certain. I wasn't able to remember a couple spells, but I performed this one absolutely perfectly."

"Oh good, see Ella, we're already ahead of the curve with our O.W.L.s," Katie smiled. Ella shrugged and turned to look at all the other students in the Great Hall who were dripping rain water all over the floor. Some Prefects were helping the younger students dry off, but there were plenty left. One of these students sat down to Ella's right, dampening her sleeve once again.

"Hello Colin," she said to the tiny third year.

The blond boy grinned up at her, "Hi! It's crazy out there, isn't it? I thought we'd be wadding to the castle!"

Ella grinned, "You and me both."

"Guess what, Ella! My brother, Dennis, is coming to Hogwarts this year!" Colin told her excitedly. "Oh, look, there's Harry. I was going to tell him too."

The boy turned to call down to Harry, "Hiya, Harry!"

"Hi, Colin," Harry responded tiredly. Ella's shoulders slumped slightly. She knew the younger boy could be a little over zealous, but she didn't believe in disheartening anyone.

"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!" Colin shouted down the table.

"Er –good."

Colin, still undeterred by the lack of response, continued, "He's really excited! I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"

"I'm sure he'll make it in, Colin. Look at all of us Weasleys that have made it into Gryffindor," George said gesturing to his siblings.

"That's true, but wasn't there a boy in our year who got in Hufflepuff but his sister was put in Ravenclaw the next year?" Fred asked.

Ella nodded, "And there were the twins in Ron's year. One went to Ravenclaw and the other is a Gryffindor. Those were twins and they got split up." Colin's face fell at this and Ella quickly stated, "But if Dennis is brave of heart or at least values it, I'm sure he'll be in Gryffindor. We're all rooting for him in any case."

"He's very brave!" Colin insisted. "Our parents say we're exactly alike, which means he'll probably be here anyway."

"Right, and even if he's not, you'll still be able to see him around the school and on the Grounds. He'll still make just as many friends and have a wonderful time here," Ella smiled putting a hand on Colin's shoulder. She could feel the waves of nervousness flowing off him. As they waited a little longer for the first years, Ella dried off Colin's robes so he wouldn't get sick. Fred and George worked to dry Ginny's robes as well since she was nearly shaking the entire table with her trembling.

Soon enough, the doors of the Great Hall burst open as Professor McGonagall led in all the drenched first years. They all looked terrified and miserable from crossing the lake. Ella thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't arrived at Hogwarts during a storm. It seemed like a rather awful way to begin the school year. A tiny boy in the midst of the group seemed to be drawing everyone's eyes. Of course, most people would be drawn to the smallest of the new students without the fact he was practically swimming in Hagrid's giant coat.

The boy caught Colin's eye and gave him two thumbs up, _"I fell in the lake!"_ Dennis Creevey mouthed to his older brother looking like Christmas had come early. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. It would have been obvious to anyone they were related. Ella let out a small laugh.

"Oh he's definitely getting into Gryffindor," George whispered.

"Kid's excited about falling into the lake during a storm, he's more of a Gryffindor than Godric himself," Fred added. Colin beamed with pride at his younger sibling. McGonagall quickly put the little stool and Sort Hat down for the now silent Great Hall.

 _A thousand years or more ago,_

 _When I was newly sewn,_

 _There lived four wizards of renown,_

 _Whose names are still well known:_

 _Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

 _Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

 _Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

 _Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

 _They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

 _They hatched a daring plan_

 _To educate young sorcerers_

 _Thus Hogwarts School began._

 _Now each of these four founders_

 _Formed their own House, for each_

 _Did value different virtues_

 _In the ones they had to teach._

 _By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

 _Prized far beyond the rest;_

 _For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

 _Would always be the best;_

 _For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

 _Most worthy of admission;_

 _And power-hungry Slytherin_

 _Loved those of great ambition._

 _While still alive they did divide_

 _Their favorites from the throng,_

 _Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

 _When they were dead and gone?_

' _Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

 _He whipped me off his head_

 _The founders put some brains in me_

 _So I could choose instead!_

 _Now slip me snug about your ears,_

 _I've never yet been wrong,_

 _I'll have a look inside your mind_

 _And tell where you belong!_

Everyone applauded the hat, which was once again still. Professor McGonagall began to unroll a large scroll that Ella knew had all the other student's names on it. In the next few moments all those first years would have a House to go to and a new family with it. The first four students went to Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff respectively.

"Creevey, Dennis!"

Colin tensed beside Ella and she smiled nervously at the third year before turning back towards the stool where little Dennis had just sat down. The hall was silent for the split second it took the hat to decide.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table burst into applause as the first student to get sorted into their house ran to the table. Ella and the twins slid down so Dennis would have enough room to sit next to his brother.

"Colin, I fell in! It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!" Dennis exclaimed shrilly to his brother.

Colin beamed, "Cool! It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!"

" _Wow!_ "

"Blimey, this kid has guts!" Fred breathed in Ella's ear.

She gently punched his shoulder, "Don't you start giving him any ideas. Something tells me this kid would jump off the Astronomy Tower if he were dared to. I mean, honestly, he was excited by falling out of a boat and having a giant squid save his life."

The twins both snorted and Ella heard Colin inform his brother, "Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? _Know who he is, Dennis?_ "

Ella shook her head, "Now, Colin, what have we talked about before? Harry Potter is a normal boy who doesn't want first years ogling at him during the Sorting."

"Right," Colin said looking slightly guilty for his actions. Snapping out of it he introduced, "Dennis, this is Ella, she's a fifth year here and has Muggle parents like we do. I told you about her, she was Petrified like me, remember? She's one of the friends I made my first year here. Next to her are the Weasley twins I also told you about –the funny ones. I can't tell them apart though."

"That's alright, mate. Our own mum can't," George joked to the boys.

"Whitby, Kevin."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Ella glanced back to the Sorting Hat, which had gone still, "Looks like that's the last of them."

Dumbledore stood up and looked over all the students, "I have only two words to say to you – _Tuck in_."

"Hear, hear!" Harry and Ron shouted. Ella rolled her eyes and gave a pointed look to the twins who simply shrugged. The platters in front of them magically filled with all sorts of food. Suddenly, Ella found that she was as hungry as Harry or Ron.

Hogwarts feasts were always one of her favorite events since they typically out did themselves each year. For once, Ella was pleased to see that she had a full appetite for a meal. The previous apprehensions she'd been feeling melted away in the warm atmosphere of the castle. All the laughter and chatter from the students who were catching up put her nerves at ease. Dennis and Colin proved to be very entertaining to sit next to. Dennis kept asking her questions about the castle, classes, and Hogsmeade. Colin would interject at moments, but Ella was happy to tell the young boy nearly everything she knew about the castle.

Above them the storm raged harder than ever. Rain pounded the roof and lightning flashed above. Every so often a rumble of thunder would be close enough to shake the windows around the Great Hall. Ella shivered at the ferocity of the storm.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the Common Room will be plenty cozy," Fred said noticing her chill. Ella smiled at him and spooned a little more of the warm desert on her plate.

As soon as the last bits of desert had been eaten, Dumbledore stood and looked over the Great Hall, "So! Now that we are all fed and watered I must once more ask for your attention, while I give a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

Ella stifled a laugh and leaned towards the twins, "Sounds like a short list, you two are planning on fixing that, right?"

"It would be a tragedy if we didn't," George answered as Dumbledore's mouth twitched slightly. Ella could see that even he knew a list wouldn't keep anything banned in these hallways.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"No!" Ella's friends all gasped. They all looked at each other wordlessly and upset by the news. Ella couldn't blame them, Quidditch was their life. The Gryffindors were especially upset considering they'd won the year before and wanted to defend that title. A furious grumbling rose from the Great Hall as every House found fault in this.

Dumbledore didn't seem fazed by the student's discontent, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy –but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts–"

A crack of thunder shook the Great Hall and was amplified by the doors slamming open. A fork of lightning jutted out, illuminating everything in a sinister light. Ella couldn't but think everything about this seemed like a giant flashing light of something being terribly wrong. A man stood in the doorway looking as frightening as a human could look. On her list, Ella would place this man almost equal with Voldemort. He had a mane of ratty, grey hair trailing down his neck and wore a black cloak that hid most of his body. He slowly moved towards the head table in the Great Hall. Everything was absolutely silent aside from the rain hitting the ceiling and windows. Ella shivered at the hollow thump that echoed off the floors with every other step he took. It didn't take a genius to realize he only had one leg.

By the time the man reached the front of the room, another bolt of lightning illuminated his face for all the students. Gasps rippled through the tables as they saw the scars that littered every inch of his visible skin. Ella's stomach turned as his face unpleasantly reminded her of a famous Muggle painter whose works involved faces that were made to look distorted and unrealistic. Those were interesting to view, but this poor man must have gone through hell and back to look like that. It only served as a painful reminder of how cruel people could be to inflict enough damage to make a man look like his face was a sculpture to carve.

His eyes bore into Ella's memory with searing vividness. One was average, it was the large, electric blue one that made Ella squirm as it zipped around its socket. As it darted around the room observing every single student, Ella found it sliding over each face as though it were taking inventory of them. The eye found her for a moment, and she could have sworn it stayed focused on her longer than the rest of her classmates. An unpleasant feeling of unease settled once more around Ella. She had never felt so on guard from someone's appearance before, but that was the only explanation for Ella's apprehension of the man. The fake eye rolled to the back of his head so all anyone could see was white.

"That's terrifying," Angelina whispered to their table.

Katie looked at her quickly, "I wouldn't say anything out loud. I have the awful feeling that he could hear it from up there."

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody," Dumbledore announced applauding the man. Aside from Hagrid, there was no applause. Everyone else was too shocked and frightened.

"Moody? Not Mad-Eye Moody, right?" Lee questioned to them.

Colin exchanged a look with his brother, "What's wrong with Mad-Eye Moody?"

"He used to be an Auror, someone who catches dark wizards. He was one of the best they had, went after the worst of the worst. Now they say he's gone mad and can't tell a Healer from a Death Eater," George explained.

"Our dad went to see him this morning, he was having trouble with some dust bins apparently. He's been known to nearly hex Muggles. I think people have said he's got a few screws loose because of the amount of evil he's faced," Fred continued.

Ella glanced at the man sitting among the teachers, "Certainly looks like he's come off worst in more than a few battles. Being an Auror looks dangerous."

Lee laughed, "It's dangerous, of course, but Moody took it to the extreme if you believe every rumor about him. I don't think there are any other Aurors who look that bad or even a fraction of it." Ella sighed feeling a bit better. Moody nearly turned her away from being an Auror, but the fact he was a rare case made the job seem appealing once more.

"As I was saying," Dumbledore said loudly. He smiled at the students who were gaping at their new professor. "We are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred shouted excitedly. The Great Hall laughed but Fred seemed too excited to care as he looked back and forth at his twin.

"I am _not_ joking, Mr. Weasley, though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…"

McGonagall loudly cleared her throat and gave Dumbledore a very stern look.

"Er –but maybe this is not the time…no…where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who _do_ know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of different nationalities –until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been successful. However, our own Department of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."

Ella grinned at the idea. No mortal danger, new students filling the halls with knowledge, and a nice form of entertainment she could actually watch with her friends. No Quidditch for a year might be a good thing, at the very least, it gave her a chance to sit on the sidelines with the twins, Katie, Angelina, and Alicia. With the exception of Katie, Ella had rarely watched an exciting event with a friend who wasn't Lee, they'd always been part of the excitement she was watching.

"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money," Dumbledore listed with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed along the Gryffindor table. He turned to meet Ella's eyes stating vehemently, "I _am_!" She smiled excitedly and nodded. The rules would make it safe for him, maybe even she could do it. She'd seen the Triwizard events already. That wasn't cheating, she had the natural ability. If the impartial judge chose her, no one could be upset if she used those powers. Ella imagined that she'd be worthy enough to lead the school. All the experience would look great towards her becoming an Auror, and the prize money would go to the twins so they could start their shop. It was the logical place for it to go.

As Ella day dreamed about the glory of being the champion, Dumbledore spoke once more, "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age –that is to say, seventeen years or older –will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This..."

"THAT'S RUBBISH!" Fred and George shouted. Ella found herself huffing at the idea as well. The rest of the Great Hall seemed to be annoyed with the idea. There may be dragons and merpeople for the competition, but if the impartial judge deemed them worthy, surely they could handle the tasks at hand.

Dumbledore held a hand up to silence the students, "…is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Everyone started to leave including Lee and the other girls, but the twins refused to stand and march out of the hall with the other students. Ella understood their disappointment, but she didn't feel like it need to be so dramatic.

"They can't do that! We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?" George questioned sullenly.

Fred nodded before ranting, "They're not stopping me from entering! The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons…"

"Wouldn't buy you anything if you're dead. I'm disappointed to, but they wouldn't put the age limit on if it weren't necessary," Ella tried reasoning. Both twins grunted and made their way out of the hall with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Harry asked as the group moved towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Dunno, but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple drops of Aging Potion might do it George…" Ella rolled her eyes at the simplistic idea. An Aging Potion would be the first thing people would think of, including Dumbledore.

Ron looked at his brothers, "Dumbledore knows you're not of age though."

Fred snipped, "Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he? Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."

"Gee…I wonder why…" Ella said sarcastically. It was more to herself than anyone but George cocked an eyebrow at her. She just rolled her eyes once more. As nice as being a champion sounded, she wasn't going to waste her time during her O.W.L. year to create a fruitless attempt at bamboozling some judge.

Hermione looked appalled by their desire to be in the tournament, "People have died, though!"

"Yeah, but that was years ago, wasn't it?" Fred asked breezily. "Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"

In the back of her mind Ella pondered what would happen if someone tried to get past Dumbledore what would happen to them. An image popped into her head of another Hogwarts girl in the infirmary with a long white beard and Ella had to stifle a giggle. She looked towards the twins and nearly said something, until she remembered a moment during the Quidditch World Cup where she was carried upside down and vowed they wouldn't be warned the next time they planned something stupid. This would suffice.

"I definitely haven't."

Ella turned around to see Neville following behind them. She smiled warmly at him.

"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to –oops.." Ella shook her head fondly as Neville's foot went through the trick stair. Harry and Ron helped hoist him out of the missing step as a suit of armor laughed.

Ron admonished the magical statue as they passed it and Ella couldn't help but glare. Some of the enchanted items in the castle could be so rude.

"Pay no attention to your grandmother, Neville. She means well, but she's expecting way too much of a fourth year student. You're brilliant no matter what her definition of that is," Ella told him putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. She smiled gratefully to her, but Ella knew from experience that her words wouldn't do much to boost his confidence.

As they approached Gryffindor Tower, the Fat Lady came into view, "Password?"

"Balderdash," George stated. "A prefect downstairs told me."

They all climbed through the portrait hole and Ella waved to the twins as she made her way up the stairs to her dormitory. When she entered the small room, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were all sitting on the beds waiting for her.

"We wanted to apologize before going to bed," Angelina said. "It was stupid of us to press you on the train especially with the curse. I've been thinking about it all night. If you had said something, it might have hurt you and that's the last thing we want."

Ella paused for a moment realizing she had never explained to her friends that Dumbledore removed the curse. She'd been so caught up in Pettigrew, Sirius, and exams that she had entirely forgotten to tell Lee, Katie, or any of them the curse had been completely revoked.

"I don't have the curse anymore. It was doing more harm than good by the end of last year so I asked Dumbledore to get rid of it. With all the tests at the end of the year, including your O.W.L.s I must have forgotten to tell you about it. I can speak freely about what I see, as long as I'm cautious about it. I still don't know what could come of talking openly about what's going to happen… But if I felt the need, I can."

"That's wonderful," Angelina said smiling at Ella.

Katie allowed a small smile on her face as well, "Hopefully this makes the year go by a little easier. Do you know who the impartial judge is then? Or do you not want to say that?"

She rolled her eyes, "I have no problem looking into that." Ella moved over to sit with her friends. She closed her eyes and focused on the thing that would decide on the champions. "It looks like a giant cup that spews fire. The flame is lit until the champions are chosen. The contestants who want to enter will write their name on paper and throw it into the fire. The cup decides who's worthy."

Ella opened her eyes and all of her friends watched her excitedly. Alicia was the first to speak up, "Well, how is a cup supposed to prevent underage students from entering?"

"Dumbledore is going to draw an Age Line. It's so simple and brilliant. The students who try to enter the tournament but aren't old enough are in for a real treat."

Angelina's eyebrows knit together thoughtfully, "But the twins are going to try…should we deter them at all?"

Ella smirked, "No, no, no I think we ought to let them give it a try. What's life without a little fun?"

Alicia shook her head, "I don't know what those poor boys did to you, but I'm not interfering with either side. Besides, we've got class in the morning and plenty of time to forget that they're going to do something stupid. Good night."

"Good night, and would one of you tell Lee about the curse no longer being on me? I don't think he should be feeling guilty about anything either," Ella called out as Angelina and Alicia made their way out of her and Katie's dormitory so they could reach their own.

"Of course, and should we tell the twins too?" Alicia asked.

She shook her head, "I never ended up telling them about it. They don't need to ever know."

Alicia and Angelina shared a look between each other before nodding and leaving the room. Katie merely shrugged and rolled over in her bed. Ella was glad her friends weren't going to question her request to keep the twins out of it. Fred and George deserved to know, Ella knew that, but after hiding it for so long, Ella didn't feel like she could feasibly tell them without someone getting unnecessarily upset. In any case, the curse was off, meaning there would no longer be any reason to say anything about it ever again.

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 **A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm going to keep trying to update at this time for as long as I can. Your reviews help keep me going a lot so please review! :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Mad-Eye Moody

**A/N: I don't own the Harry Potter series. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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Mad-Eye Moody

Ella awoke the next morning feeling a bit shaky, but ready to take on her classes for the day. Something about being in the castle again made her ability a bit more manageable. She still didn't have complete control over what she saw, but she was working on the ability to push away a vision and move to a different one again. Ella felt stronger now that she was back home at Hogwarts.

Ella made her way out of bed remembering the promise she'd made herself to write Mr. Weasley immediately once she returned to school. She knew he'd been under stress and figured a letter might make him feel better. Besides, she didn't get to say good bye. Once Katie was awake, they threw on their robes and made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

As they reached the Gryffindor table, their friends waved them to the spot they'd chosen. The sixth years were all looking at their class schedule for the year. McGonagall quickly descended on Katie and Ella to get them their schedules. Ella quickly scanned her classes for the day.

"This is awful."

Katie looked at her schedule with the same amount of disgust, "We've got Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning along with double Potions, then Transfigurations and History of Magic this afternoon. Someone please kill me now."

"While you're at that, send some curses my way too," Ella huffed searching her schedule once again praying for some typo.

"Ah, the joys of your O.W.L. year, you girls are in for some fun," Lee grinned while grabbing another piece of toast.

Ella sighed and grabbed her own breakfast. Above her, the owls flew in to deliver the morning post. Some students were receiving newspapers while others needed to get things they forgot at home. Ella was surprised to see Rowena fly down and land next to her on the table along with a handsome tawny owl.

"Are you introducing me to your boyfriend?" Ella teased her pet. Rowena gave her a disdainful look before sticking out her leg with a letter attached to it. The other owl followed her lead. Ella carefully took the letters off the birds and the male owl took off quickly after. Ella attached her own letter to Rowena's leg, but told her bird there was no urgency for the letter. Rowena glanced around the table for a moment looking between Ella's friends as she unfolded the first letter. As she smoothed it out, Rowena's eyes fell on Lee's toast. In a blur of movement, Rowena snatched the bread out of Lee's hand and exited the Great Hall with the last of the owls.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lee groaned as everyone burst out laughing. "Ella, control your pet."

She laughed at Lee, "Control? I'm actually thinking of giving her extra treats the next time I see her. What a clever bird!"

"Any way, the Aging Potion… Lee, do you think you could help us brew it?" Fred said immediately getting down to business. Angelina rolled her eyes and Ella sighed.

Lee shrugged, "I'm not sure. I only got an Acceptable in Potions."

"Well, I think all together, we should be able to come up with something that doesn't accidentally poison us," George stated confidently.

"Want to help Ella? You could probably get it correct in one go," Fred said looking towards her.

Ella glanced down at the letter the other owl had left her. It was a request for Ella to have her first Occlemency lesson in two days. She remembered that her cover was supposed to be extra Potions help. Besides, she wasn't going to encourage their attempt to trick their way into the tournament. What if she interfered and one of them actually made it in?

"I'm going to have to pass. This letter is for my extra potion lessons with Snape."

"Extra lessons with Snape? He does that?"

"Why do you even need that? You're brilliant in Potions!"

"I had to practically beg for the extra help. Snape only excepts O's for N.E.W.T. level and if I want to be an Auror then I need to have an O," Ella explained rather truthfully.

Fred gave her an almost concerned look, "You want to be an Auror?"

"Well, yes, I've been thinking about it for a while and it would be a good way to put my ability to use. If I learned how to control it just right I could do a lot of good. Help catch dark wizards and keep people safe. I knew a seventh year who went on to be an Auror my first year, Tonks," Ella explained. Everyone just looked at her with looks of worry and awe. "Well what do the rest of you want to be then?"

Alicia spoke up first, "I was thinking a Healer. In a way, I suppose I'm like you, I really want to do some good and help people, but I don't know if I could handle fighting dark wizards. St. Mungo's seems more like the place for me to be."

Angelina shrugged, "I want to be involved with Quidditch."

"Same, then maybe something with Muggle and Wizard relations. I've really found Muggle Studies fascinating, but I think Quidditch is more where I want to go to at first," Katie smiled.

Lee looked thoughtful, "I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I may go into something at the Ministry or do a little announcing for Quidditch. I haven't thought very far in the future."

Ella turned to the twins, "And we all know what you both want to do."

"Of course!"

"We're following Percy into the Ministry."

"Those cauldrons require every Weasley in our family."

"It's a full epidemic."

She laughed, "Don't let him hear you say that. He'd probably recruit you and your mum would let him." The twins pretended to shiver.

"I don't think being an Auror is the wrong choice for me. I've put a lot of thought into it and it just feels right. In any case, I'm a Gryffindor, I'm supposed to be brave like the Aurors have to be."

"You know, if anyone could do it, it's you, Ella. I've seen you in class, spells come quickly and naturally to you, even more than people from wizarding families. It's like it's in your blood. You'd be a natural," Katie said. Everyone seemed to relax a bit from Katie's confidence in her and Ella felt her heart swell with pride.

As Ella walked towards the Dungeon for Potions, she unfolded the second letter Rowena had brought her. Dumbledore wanted to have a meeting with her once her lessons were done for the evening. She should have known it would happen. There was practically a standing meeting between her a Dumbledore at the beginning of the year, every year. This time it wouldn't be regarding her curse, just the ability in general. Maybe he felt weary of the school year like she did. Dumbledore was certainly wiser than she was. The dreams she'd had with Voldemort were probably only one occurrence of strangeness in the wizarding world. He also might want to know anything regarding the Quidditch World Cup, Ella could imagine that much, but she didn't know anything about it.

As Katie and Ella guessed, Potions was a nightmare filled with a nothing short of torture from Snape and the other Slytherins. By the end of the class, Ella was already wondering if she could self-teach herself Occlemency in the library with books instead of the bitter professor. Katie and the other Gryffindors trudged towards Defense Against the Dark Arts with a mixture of exhaustion, excitement, and foreboding. Everyone wanted to learn from the Ex-Auror but no one knew what to expect from the terrifying man they had seen in the Great Hall the night before.

The girls grabbed two seats in the front of the room and Cormac slid beside Ella, "Saw some Ravenclaws as I left. Cho said the man is insane but the lesson was the best, hands down."

"Books away, we won't be needing them today," Moody rasped entering the room. Everyone put their books back into their bags and watched the man in front of them. The air felt electrified as Moody read the attendance list to make sure everyone was present. Ella could have sworn the tension in the room was growing exponentially with every moment the professor took role.

Finally, he rolled up the parchment and announced, "Professor Lupin sent a list detailing the creatures you've studied as well as some of the curses you learned. I must say, I'm impressed with how much your class went through in one year, but like every class I've looked at, you're behind. Pitifully behind if any of you hope to pass your O.W.L.s this year. You'll all need to work twice as hard as any of your other classes in order to pass. I have this year to teach you as much as I can so you have a solid foundation for the rest of your careers."

"This year?" Cormac whispered. "He's only staying one year?"

"Yes, Mr. McLaggen I will only be around for a year. It's the deal Dumbledore and I struck. I am your professor for the next year and nothing more than that," Moody growled. Cormac shrunk in his seat and Ella winced at the harsh tone he had.

"Now," Moody said, "the main thing we are going to work on is curses and counter-curses. I realize this is what you most recently worked on and it's the best place to begin. The only difference is that my teaching style differs from that of your previous professors. I think more of you. I think you can handle more advanced ideas. I'm going over the same curriculum with the other students for now. You'll all begin the same in an effort to show what Defense Against the Dark Arts truly means. I believe to accurately learn how to protect yourself you have to know what you are up against. Does anyone know any of the three Unforgiveable Curses?"

Hands began to raise around the room from many students. Everyone who came from a magical family seemed to have their hand raised along with a few Muggleborns like Ella. No one seemed particularly comfortable with the waters they were treading in.

He pointed to Cormac first who swallowed before choking out, "The Cruciatus Curse." Cormac always tried to come off as confident, at this moment, he sounded like a small child watching a scary movie.

Moody nodded and pulled a spider out of a little jar. A couple of people shifted in their seats. Ella's stomach twisted –she didn't like where this was going.

" _Engorgio_ ," Moody whispered and the spider doubled in size. " _Crucio!"_ The spider began to twitch and curl in on itself. It was trying to escape the unimaginable pain it was going through. Ella heard a scream begin to build up throughout her mind. It was the Longbottoms being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. They were getting louder and louder… how could anyone willingly inflict this curse on any living being? The spider twitched and Ella could see, she could see two adults, a male and a female, twitching on the floor. Barty Crouch's son was standing above them looking gleeful at the pain he was able to inflict. Her skin prickled. They were begging for it to stop.

" _Stop! Just stop!_ "

The spider calmed down but still twitched a bit. Moody looked at McLaggen in surprise at him speaking up. Cormac was looking at Moody in horror and disgust. Ella's hands were so tightly balled into fists that it hurt to uncurl them once again. The rest of the class had fallen completely silent. The sound of breathing had even been drowned out.

"A very popular curse a while back. No need for knives if you can perform the curse. Depending on the will of the one inflicted and the duration of the spell, the effects can be maddening," Moody announced. One of his eyes fell on Ella as he said it. It almost felt taunting like he knew what she was seeing. Ella shook her head slowly. It must be her imagination. "Does anyone else have a curse they know of?"

He pointed to a Hufflepuff in the back of the room, "The Imperious curse."

" _Imperio_ ," Moody growled once more. This time, the spider didn't twitch or cower, it did cartwheels and hopped around the desk like a rabbit. A few kids in the class let out some nervous laughter. Moody's real eye glared at them. "You think this is funny, do you? Why don't I make the creature drown itself? Or light itself on fire? It would happily do it under the effects of the Imperious curse. It was also popular in the Dark Lord's Era. They controlled half the Ministry this way. It takes someone with a strong sense of character to throw the curse off. _You have to know yourself._ Now, who can tell me the last one? How about you?"

Ella looked up at Moody, her hand had fallen a long time ago. Everyone in the room was filled with apprehension. Most of them knew what Moody was about to do.

" _Avada Kedavra,"_ Ella whispered with edge in her tone. Moody nodded solemnly and put the spider on the desk.

Ella barely heard the words leave his mouth before a flash of green light lit up the room momentarily. For a moment, Ella wasn't in the classroom. She was in a dark graveyard and the killing curse's light was being reflected off the headstones around her. She blinked before she saw who was on the receiving end of the curse. She was back in the room. The spider didn't have a mark on it, but it was without a doubt dead.

"The most evil of all these curses –no way to block it, no counter-curse, and only one known survivor –A young man who walks the halls with you. Now casting any of these curses will ship you straight to Azkaban for the rest of your life. They're no light matter. I'm here to teach you how to survive in this course and I am going to do my best to not only prepare you for your exam but to prepare you for the real world as well. We'll spend the first few weeks learning more about The Unforgiveable Cursesbefore moving to duels. I heard there was an unsuccessful duel club set up a few years back. I assure you, you will be successful with this venture. After that we'll work on reviewing every item that could show up on your test."

For the rest of the class, they took notes over the curses. Once the period was over, everyone packed their bags in silence and waited until they had exited the room before bubbling with excited chatter. Ella could agree with one thing she kept hearing –they'd never had a lesson like it. She walked towards the Great Hall with Cormac and Katie for lunch.

"I can't believe he did those spells in front of us. Of course, I've heard of them, but seeing them is entirely different. I don't know if I'll ever get the vision of the Killing Curse out of my head. Can you believe Harry survived it? I can't believe anyone could survive something so powerful. I could feel the evilness in the room as he cast it. And the way the spider _twitched!_ "

"Would you shut it?" Cormac snapped at Katie. While Ella had next to no color in her face, Cormac looked a little blanched as well. Katie's nervous excitement had finally struck a nerve with him.

Katie huffed, "You don't have to be so rude about it."

"Excuse me if these curses aren't some spectacle to me. My family has some power, but they refused to go to You-Know-Who's side. A lot of my family underwent the Cruciatus Curse when he was in power. I don't want to think about what they went through, I don't want to think about anyone going through that," Cormac snapped without realizing how much about himself he was disclosing. The remaining color in his face disappeared and he sped off to the opposite side of the table. Ella and Katie moved to sit with their friends. She glanced at the food feeling completely sickened by the idea of eating.

"What's wrong, Ella?" Fred asked as she sat down. She looked at him surprised at how quickly he sensed something was the matter.

She shook her head and looked towards Katie who explained, "The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was kind of intense. Ella, like a couple other students, was sort of disturbed by the lesson. Well, in a way we all were. It was definitely dark."

"Really? What happened?" Angelina asked curiously.

"I think it's more something you should just see for yourself. No point ruining the lesson, he said you were going to be shown the same thing. It's obvious this guy knows his stuff though," Katie stated.

Fred glanced down at their schedule, "Well, it looks like we have him right after lunch, so I suppose we shouldn't eat too much or we may get sick, eh?" He looked back towards Ella, noticing that she still hadn't grabbed anything to eat. "Ella, you should have at least a little something. You'll be starving by the time lunch comes around." She glanced at him warily before looking back at the food piled around her. None of it looked appealing to her; it made her stomach flip just by smelling the different aromas.

"I'm good…" she mumbled barely audibly. Fred frowned.

He reached over towards a pile of toast and grabbed a slice. George watched out of the corner of his eye pretending to listen to Lee as his brother buttered it lightly and set it on Ella's plate. His brother then began to search the table for something else. After a short moment, he decided on a pouring a tiny bit of soup broth into a bowl and setting it there as well. Ella looked at the food with apprehension.

"They're the blandest things on the table. Whenever I got sick as a kid mum would give me some soup to eat and somehow it always made me feel better. I realize this isn't mum's, but the House Elves do a pretty good job with it as well. Then I've seen you eat toast when you're upset and sick before. Please just eat a little bit, it'll be good for you," Fred gently urged her. Ella felt a little color return to her cheeks at the mere thought that Fred had noticed her food of choice when she wasn't feeling well.

She picked up the spoon and took a bite of soup. Instead of revolting, her stomach warmed up and Ella felt her muscles beginning to relax from the food. Fred had been right, the soup wasn't hard on her stomach, and it wasn't awful tasting either. She nibbled on the toast as she continued eating the small portion of food on her plate. Fred felt a small smile grow on his face at the good he was able to do for Ella. He could see her loosening and the color returning to her face. He opened his mouth thinking maybe he could ask her to go on a walk after classes, that maybe this would finally be a good time for him to ask her the only question that could scare him.

"Ella! We have to get going or we'll be late for Transfigurations," Katie said suddenly. Ella hopped up quickly grabbing her bag.

Before leaving the Great Hall she turned to Fred with a small smile, "Thank you for that. You're the best." She hurried after Katie and the sixth years stood up to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

" _You're the best_ ," George whispered to his brother elbowing him in his side.

He shoved his twin as he ears began to turn red, "Oh shut up."

Ella quickly wished Katie had left her in the Great Hall instead of coming to Transfigurations. It would appear that there wasn't going to be a single easy class this year. McGonagall spent the first twenty minutes of class explaining that with enough hard work and practice the O.W.L. should be easy enough to attain. Ella wouldn't have any trouble believing that to be true if she were taking each class individually, but they were all going to pile up into a mountain before Ella could even fathom a single assignment. She needed an Exceeds Expectations in order to continue on to N.E.W.T. level Transfigurations. Granted, after being able to successfully turn into an Animagus at the age of thirteen, Ella figured she'd be able to pass on to the more advanced classes –not that she would be able to tell the person giving the exam as much.

As they all packed up to go to their next class Professor McGonagall announced, "I'd like to once more remind you that despite the events going on this year around the school, exams will not be any easier or delayed at all. While I encourage you to partake in the activities that will be filling the year, I urge you all to remember what is coming. Have a good day."

The Gryffindors trudged tiredly to their next lesson, which was unfortunately History of Magic. The already emotionally and physically exhausted fifth years only wanted to day to be over; instead they were faced with the ghost who literally could bore someone to death.

"I think I speak for us all when I say we don't care how this grade turns out," Ella grumbled in the back of the room to Katie.

"Well I don't, but if I don't get at least and Acceptable, my parents are going to kill me."

Ella nearly said it didn't matter for her because her parents didn't care, but then the Weasleys popped into her head. Mr. Weasley looked disappointed while Mrs. Weasley looked ready to admonish Ella like she had done with the twins. Ella quickly nodded in agreement before trying harder to listen to Professor Binns and take notes.

Once class ended Ella told Katie she had a meeting with Dumbledore and she'd see her later. Ella moved through the castle to his office with ease having been there so many times in the last few years. She doubted the visits would ever get less frequent. In fact, they were probably bound to get even more common with what she'd seen of Voldemort returning or trying to coax her to his side.

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter? So tell me, is his mother really that porky or is it just the picture?" Ella saw Malfoy facing Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the middle of the corridor. Ron was shaking with anger and Ella felt her fists ball up at Malfoy's words. That evil git.

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy? That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?" Harry retorted as her fought to hold Ron back from pouncing.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

Harry yelled back as he turned away, "Keep your fat mouth shut then."

BANG!

Ella leaped backwards and several others who had stopped to watch the exchange screamed.

"OH NO YOU DON'T LADDIE!" The blast had narrowly missed Harry's head, but Ella found her eyes drawn to the now completely white ferret that was sitting in the exact spot Malfoy had been before. She looked up to see Moody limping down the staircase his wand drawn towards the creature. An uneasy feeling curled in her gut, but Ella didn't register it properly. It was too exciting to see Malfoy get exactly what he deserved.

Moody limped to Harry and whispered something to him only to shout, "LEAVE IT!"

"Leave –what?" Harry asked startled.

"Not you," Moody growled. "Him!"

One of Malfoy's henchmen had bent down to pick the ferret up. Moody limped over to the boys who cowered in his wake. Malfoy gave a terrified squeak before bolting towards the dungeon.

"I don't think so!" Moody shouted. He pointed his wand at the tiny animal and it flew ten feet into the air before landing on the floor with a smack and bouncing again above the spectators.

Malfoy squeaked shrilly in terror as Moody growled, "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned. Stinking, cowardly scummy thing to do!" Malfoy's tiny legs flailed in the air unable to do anything as Moody punctuated each word with the bouncing, "Never –do –that –again!"

"Professor Moody!" Ella watched Professor McGonagall move down the stairs with a large stack of books in her hand. She looked horrified.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall."

She watched the bouncing ferret with apprehension, "What –what are you doing?"

"Teaching."

"Teach – _is that a student?"_ Professor McGonagall shrieked. All of her books fell out of her arms at the discovery.

"Yep."

McGonagall looked even more horrified, "No!" She took her wand out of her robes and with a simple flick, Malfoy was back to his human self. He looked pitiful and disheveled from being flung about. Ella couldn't help but snigger at his messy hair and pink face. "Moody, we _never_ use transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah, but I thought a good sharp shock–"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!" McGonagall admonished.

Moody glared at Malfoy, "I'll do that, then." Malfoy grumbled something and Moody limped towards him, "Well, I know your father of old, boy… You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son…you tell him that from me… Now, your Head of House will be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Malfoy responded hatefully.

"Another old friend. I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape… Come on, you." Moody seized his upper arm and dragged him off towards the dungeons. Everyone scattered at that point and Ella continued on her way to Dumbledore's office.

"Hello, Ella, how was your summer?" Dumbledore asked as she entered.

She smiled, "It was nice for the most part. I saw the Quidditch World Cup, it was unlike anything I've ever seen before."

He nodded, "Ah yes, I sadly could not attend this time. I was rather upset, but business is business."

"You received my letter then?"

"Of course, but the Ministry is sometimes stupidly stubborn about the way it operates. My guidance is sometimes accepted, but not every suggestion is typically taken under consideration especially by Minister Fudge."

Ella scoffed, "He sure likes his comfort doesn't he? Wouldn't listen to anyone about Sirius. One of these days he's going err on a much larger front and we'll be in worse trouble."

"I pray that your prediction doesn't come true, but I fear anything coming from you has a substantial chance at coming to pass."

"So, Bertha Jorkins is still missing then?"

"The Ministry has begun working a bit to find her. They say it's because it's been too long, but I think they don't want the Daily Prophet to get any wind of this. Instead of doing the right thing and finding a missing employee, they're trying to save their own skin. You said that Voldemort had killed her in your dream, I fear that it may have come to pass," Dumbledore replied with a weary tone. "Now, how _are_ your dreams? In your letter you said you were seeing Voldemort."

Ella shivered despite herself, "I saw something of him, I doubt it's the Voldemort you remember. He's not even human anymore. I was almost sick when I saw him, but his looks are beside the point. I'm no longer seeing the future pertaining to him; he's speaking to me directly. Voldemort's voice keeps entering into my dreams and requesting I join him."

"Voldemort was always obsessed with knowing the outcome of things. He fears the future, and you would be the ultimate prize when it comes to knowing what is coming his way. Are you certain you aren't just hearing parts of the future? I shudder to imagine you having these conversations with him face to face, but the idea he is in your mind is equally terrifying."

"Well, I'll know soon enough whether it's the future or actually Voldemort. Professor Snape has agreed to give me Occlemency lessons so I can learn to block my mind from Voldemort or anyone else who might want to see the future."

"That is brilliant, Ella. Severus is well-learned in Occlemency and will be able to help you immensely, I believe. By the fact you went to him for lessons, I take it you fully understand he is on our side instead of Voldemort's?"

She swallowed, "While I admit he does a good job of not showing his affiliation to either side indefinitely, I know he works on our side."

"And that must be kept between as few people as possible. The people your age tend to believe him to be the villain. If you begin to act like he is not in fact evil, someone could figure something out. Especially Voldemort. Severus is crucial to any and all effort we have when facing Voldemort; we cannot lose him." Dumbledore's blue eyes bore into her own and she nodded fully understanding the gravity of the situation. "Now, I've kept you long enough. Why don't you head down to dinner?"

By the time Ella reached the Great Hall, her friends had left to work on homework. Ella sat down at the table and began to eat alone.

"Is this seat taken?"

Ella looked up to see Cormac, who still looked a little pale, "No, go ahead." He sat down and grabbed a little food for himself. "You're a little late for dinner."

"I could say the same thing to you. To be honest I noticed you weren't going to the Great Hall originally and I still wasn't very hungry so I got started on homework before coming down to eat," MacLaggen confessed. He prodded the food on his plate with his fork still not seeming very hungry.

"You should eat something, it'll make you feel a bit better. I promise," Ella said and Cormac looked disdainfully before taking a bite.

He looked back towards Ella, "Could you apologize to your friend for me?"

"Why can't you apologize yourself?"

"I don't apologize, I wasn't even in the wrong. She was acting like those curses were something neat. Part of a children's story or something. They were serious, not a light joking thing to be dazzled by. The class is filled with idiots who don't understand how the world works and how cruel those curses are." Ella watched the rant slowly realizing how much the world underestimated McLaggen's humanity based on the narcissism he naturally possessed. Despite how annoying he was or how he was incredibly full of himself, he'd gone through more than he let on.

The two didn't talk much the rest of their short dinner. Then Ella dove into her homework immediately afterwards. If she didn't keep up, she'd be up to her neck. How could they be given enough homework to cause a mental breakdown on the first day they were back? As soon as she finished her homework, she passed out in bed finally feeling exhausted by all the events of the day.

 _A storm swirled above Ella's head and lightning tried to spear the ground around her feet. There was something powerful about the situation, she could feel the strength surging around her, but it didn't feel real. The storm didn't seem like something that was going to come and attack her and her friends. It was more metaphorical. The ferocity of the storm that surged around the small space was symbolic, Ella could tell, of what was coming towards them. Ella could feel a storm growing even if it wasn't one with thunder and lightning._

 _One bolt hit a dry bush close by causing Ella to leap out of the way of the ignited shrub. Within the flames, an image flickered to life and Ella took a step closer to the heat. A group of men stood covered in hoods. They were all in the graveyard Ella had caught a glimpse of before. The hooded figures were surrounding Voldemort who appeared to be returned to his original form. Ella couldn't read the names on the headstones to get a solid idea of where they were in that moment._

 _She waved a hand in front of the flames and the image shifted to a new setting. This time, Voldemort and Dumbledore stood in the middle of a magnificent hall complete with a golden fountain. The statues within the fountain appeared to be coming to life at Dumbledore's request with Voldemort seeming furious._

" _What do you see?"_

 _Ella whirled around from the bush at the sound of the cold voice. With a flourish of her wrist, the flame was snuffed immediately._

" _Nothing you'll ever see until the moment it happens –if it ever does," she taunted._

" _Why not show me? We can make sure whatever worries you does not come to pass. I could give you your heart's desire if you only let me," Voldemort coaxed._

" _Oh how wonderful, I didn't know you were so willing to die for good, since that would appear to be the only thing I truly want."_

 _Voldemort growled, "You won't be so brave when I have my strength back."_

" _I wouldn't be so sure about that, but for the moment, I have more strength than you and you are powerless to control me."_

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 **A/N: Hi! This would be the longest chapter yet, and so much fun to write! I hope the length makes up for the fact it was a little late, but I needed to get things just right before I posted it. I think it has a little bit of everything in one go. Please let me know what you think, especially of that Voldemort confrontation! Please review! :)**


	14. Chapter 14:The Unforgivable Curses

**I'M SO SORRY! Nothing can really excuse how absent I've been with this story! I had such a busy year it was next to impossible to write anything, and I'm so sorry for that. I have not given up on this story and I desperately hope you are all still reading it! Here's something to hopefully make up for it! As always I do not own anything, it all belongs to JK Rowling.**

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The Unforgiveable Curses

As she opened her eyes Ella felt dazed. The dormitory was peaceful. The world around her was gently waking up and starting its day. Nothing was imploding. She had not spontaneously combusted or been devoured by flames. She was still alive despite openly telling Voldemort he was powerless against a fifteen year old girl.

For a single moment, Ella felt like a goddess. It felt like she had taken on the entire galaxy and won without breaking a sweat. She had been brave enough to make Godric Gryffindor himself swell with pride. It only took about a minute longer for the situation to actually settle in. Ella Marie Worthington had insulted Lord Voldemort in a way that would not go unpunished. Whether this dream had actually been a direct communication with Voldemort or something that was bound to happen in the future, Ella had screwed herself over. Showing bravery was one thing, but openly taunting the man who struck fear into the entire wizarding world was a whole other realm of stupidity. Even the twins hadn't manage to dig a grave this deep with their mother, and they'd done some pretty stupid things in front of Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh God, what have I done?" She groaned.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes and homework. Ella talked and laughed with her friends, took notes, and practiced new spells, but every waking second of the day, the back of her mind was filled with a thousand scenarios of how Voldemort could react to this. He couldn't control her yet. How long until he gained his strength back? There must be something he needed otherwise he could have turned by this point. Ella figured she would have some time to build up her defenses. The Occlemency lessons could not begin fast enough anymore.

Thursday, Ella made her way to the Divinations Tower after lunch for the first class of the year with Trelawney, who she wasn't looking forward to seeing again after the events during her final exam. She'd seen the events of the World Cup within the crystal ball and later she had seen Pettigrew escaping and returning to his full power. Ella wondered slightly whether or not Trelawney had figured out that she had seen the terror at the World Cup before it came to pass. She received full marks in the course, but that was well before the event actually happened.

"Welcome back to the never-ending torture session. At least something never changes," Cormac grumbled. Ella stifled a snort agreeing with him.

Cho glared at Cormac and Ella, "Don't be so rude about it. She knows what she's doing. Maybe, McLaggen, you'd see she's a good teacher if you stopped making fun of her all the time. And Ella, you and her have the same abilities, shouldn't you be defending her more than anyone else?"

"You're joking, right?" Ella looked at Cho as though she had two heads.

"Obviously not, don't you remember? I saw something last year during the final exam! If I was able to see something in the crystal ball, she must have been teaching us right after all," Cho reasoned.

"It was a bird."

Cho glared at Cormac, "A bird that could have symbolized my flight to a new way of thinking. One that is more positive towards this teacher."

Cormac opened his mouth to retort but Ella held up a hand, "Look, you're right. She deserves a little more credit than we've given her in the past. She isn't a total fraud. She's had real visions before, but the way she pretends to know more about us and the future than she does is absolutely ridiculous. You saw a bird, and believe me I'm thrilled, but you don't want to start worshiping her or trying to be a Seer."

"Why not? What's wrong with seeing the future?" Cho asked flippantly.

"I'm sorry, but would you like to ask that again? What isn't frightening about watching things that haven't happened yet? I've seen the future, Cho, and some of the things I've seen would make your hair curl if you were seeing it. Take it from someone who actually remembers their predictions for whatever stupid reason it is I got this ability, you don't need to see the future because if you don't like it, you can't change it."

"Hello, and welcome back to another year of learning all that the future has to reveal to those who are worthy enough for it."

Trelawney looked as ridiculous as always in her magnified glasses, shawls, and bangles. Ella always got the impression that she was trying too hard to convince others she really was a Seer. Cho leaned forward to listen closely to Trelawney while Cormac did his best to suppress a groan.

Ella leaned over and whispered to him, "If I ever start dressing like that to prove I can see the future, jinx me back into sanity."

"Deal."

Professor Trelawney glanced about the room, "This year we will be moving into dream interpretations. This is one of the most important aspects of seeing the future. Those who can see the future often get their biggest predictions shown through their subconscious mind."

Cormac looked over at Ella nervously, "I suppose you're a bit ahead of the game here, aren't you?" She ignored him and decided to listen to the professor for once.

"These bits of the future can often come out jumbled, so for a majority of the term we will be keeping a record of our dreams in order to interpret what they could be telling us," Trelawney announced. "Please take a book from the center of the table and read the introduction on dream interpretation. After you've understood what you can from the words of Inigo Imago, find a partner and interpret their most recent dream."

"Cho!" Ella, Cormac, and Cho looked towards Marietta Edgecombe who quickly made her way to the empty pouf next to Cho's chair. Ella wasn't fond of the bratty girl who always seemed to sneer at her. She always felt like Marietta would cause trouble wherever she went. Marietta's undying admiration for Trelawney also didn't make her grate on Ella's nerves any less.

"We simply must be partners, Cho. You've seen the light of the Inner Eye finally, and I wouldn't trust my future with anyone else," Marietta gushed.

"Oh, Ella, won't you be my partner and reveal all of the worlds I will partake in?" Cormac mimicked in a nasally voice. Ella laughed out loud but quickly turned it into a cough when Cho began to glare at her.

Ella smirked slightly, "I suppose I can let you try to interpret my dreams."

The class all worked on reading the introduction of their book, but Ella's interest wasn't really in the art of figuring out the symbols of dreams. She knew a lot of what it said already from her own experiences. She did find it interesting that dream interpretation was considered one of the most important areas of seeing the future. Despite the fact she didn't have much patience for Trelawney or the course she was teaching, she had to admit she felt a bit of pride in her ability since it was one of the most important areas.

"Done?"

"What?" Ella looked over at Cormac realizing he finished skimming the introduction. "Oh, I am. There wasn't much I really needed to look over."

Cormac smirked, "Well then, you can interpret my dream first. A few weeks ago, I had a dream where I was a Seeker for the Quidditch team, but I couldn't catch the Snitch."

"Maybe that's your subconscious saying you are meant to be a Seeker? You don't really have the build for it either, mind you."

He shook his head, "It's more than that. I typically play Keeper, it's what I really want to do next year, but in this dream I played every position, but I failed at each of them."

Ella sat for a moment, thinking over what that could mean, "It's possible you won't be on the team next year and that's what the dream meant. You said you were trying to catch the Snitch but could. Well, maybe the Snitch is what you want, I mean it is the most important ball in finishing the game, so the fact you couldn't catch it means it's out of your reach a little longer. I'm not sure why you wouldn't be on the team, but it's a possibility. The position you want may be out of your reach for another year."

"I hope you're wrong, but let's hear your dream and see if I'm not completely useless in divinations."

Ella looked up at his anxious expression, "I don't think so. You don't need to be wrapped up in the same craziness I am."

"You're being paranoid, I could handle it. I'm tougher than any of the Gryffindors in this school. I don't think your dreams would scare me."

"I'm afraid that is all the time we have for the class today. You will need to record your dreams every night for the next month as homework. We may look at them in class to see what progress we are making towards interpreting the future. That is all," Trelawney drifted back towards her office space and the class began to gather their things grumbling about another large assignment they'd have to worry about.

Refusing to make eye contact with Cho and Marietta who were happily babbling about their dreams or Cormac who was still looking at her with disbelief, Ella packed her things away. She looked towards Trelawney's office door wondering if this was a part of the curriculum for fifth year students, or something she had made up simply to force Ella into looking at her dreams more in depth.

Ella glanced over at McLaggen, "You're wrong." The last thing Ella saw as she descended the ladder out of the classroom was Cormac's stunned expression.

She made her way towards Care of Magical Creatures uncertain of what to expect, but not fully ready to give her attention to something other than her nightmares and the thought of recording them in a journal. Most of the time, Ella wanted to forget what she saw the moment it appeared in her mind, but she never was able to fully manage getting rid of these horrible visions. Maybe if she started recording them, she'd be able to make more sense out of the things she saw. This just might have been the first assignment Ella wasn't going to invent things for, and she had never been more worried.

Hagrid was working more out of the textbook for their class since he recognized the importance of the O.W.L. testing. According to Hermione, who she spoke briefly to in the library the night before, it was the fourth years that were handling something more up to par with Hagrid's typical lessons. While Ella and Katie were blissfully studying bowtruckles and nifflers, the class below them studied Blast-Ended Skewerts, which Hermione assured Ella she didn't want to know about. Ella didn't have a clue what Hermione was working on so diligently at the library, but Ella was too busy drowning in her own homework each evening to ask. The library was a much better place to spend her homework time than the Common Room, which was always exploding with noise.

The lesson passed by without much trouble and Ella thanked her lucky stars that Hagrid wasn't working with his usual caliber of creatures. Instead of going to the Hospital Wing, she could go to dinner with Katie and the others. She'd hardly seen her other friends since the lunch after her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She may even be able to get a head start on her homework for the evening, which would be wonderful since she had her first Occlumency lesson with Snape that evening.

"Ella!"

She turned while Katie went to sit down. She saw Hermione coming into the Great Hall with Ron and Harry in tow, "Hullo you three. Everything all right? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts was…"

"Say no more, I completely understand. Is everyone feeling okay, or did it get to anyone?" Ella asked realizing that Neville would have been in that class as well as Harry who did look a little too pale for Ella's liking. She wasn't one to speak though, she came out of that class quite queasy.

"I'm fine," Harry said noticing her worried glance. She nodded and gave a quick smile.

Ron looked over his shoulder, "Neville seemed a little off though. He was speaking with a really high pitched voice… Professor Moody offered to have a cup of tea with him in his office."

"Did he?"

"He looked like he needed it, badly," Hermione said.

Ella's heart inexplicably beat a little faster, "I'm sure Professor Moody will be able to help him with whatever happened." The three left to sit down, but Ella couldn't convince herself to join her friends. Fred looked over at her and she wanted nothing more than to sit down and be a normal person who didn't know things they weren't supposed to, but Ella knew what Neville was going through. She could hear his parents and their screams. His pain wasn't something she could ignore. Ella gave a small wave to Fred before leaving the Great Hall and making her way to Moody's office.

She made it there but wasn't able to tell if Neville had left yet. If they were having a cup of tea it could take a little while. Ella paced outside the doors to the office. Something deep down made her want to break into the room and pull Neville out of there. It was insane.

" _You cannot be acting this way. It's absurd, and you're losing your mind if you think something is wrong_."

Never in her life had Ella felt more paranoid than the moment she spotted the new professor. Even Quirrell didn't set her on edge this much. Could it be that the curse had prevented the paranoia? This had to be imagined, right? There hadn't been a peaceful year since Harry arrived and with Voldemort growing in strength, it's only natural that Ella's fears would be projected on the thing in her life she knew the least about.

The door swung open revealing Neville and Moody in the doorway, "Fancy seeing you here. Miss. Worthington."

"Sorry, Professor Moody. I was looking for Neville."

His real eye pierced through her, but she stood her ground, "Very well, off you go, Longbottom. Enjoy those books."

The door slammed closed and Neville looked at Ella in confusion, "Why were you looking for me?"

She looked into Neville's eyes and felt a deep-seated sadness sink into her chest, "Let's go for a walk around the grounds."

Neville and Ella were silent as they walked to the grounds of the school. Ella didn't want to explain it to Neville, but she felt guilty knowing about what happened to his parents. He didn't tell anyone about it. All anyone knew was that Neville was raised by his grandmother. The reason behind it was a mystery Neville didn't let anyone know, but Ella had found out against her will.

"Mad-Eye gave the same lesson to everyone, and I wanted to see how you felt after it. I was worried about what that lesson might have made you feel…" Ella admitted looking at her friend. He only seemed puzzled, "Look, Neville, I don't know how to tell you this but I know about what happened to your parents. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I wasn't sure how to tell you or whether or not I should."

"Y-you know about…my parents?"

"Yes."

"But how?"

Ella spent the next thirty minutes explaining her dreams to Neville, the ones that concerned his parents. She knew about Bellatrix, the court hearing, and what happened to them specifically. Before Ella knew it she was spilling it all to Neville, even the knowledge that she heard his parent's screams when dementors got near her. By the time she finished, the two of them were sitting under a tree overlooking the lake.

The two were quiet for a while until Neville sighed, "I've always wondered what my parents were like and what could make them go insane like they did, but I didn't think I'd ever learn the answer. They must have been so brave to face what they did." He had tears running down his face that he quickly wiped away.

"I'd imagine their more than brave, but you know you're their son, right? That same bravery in them is in you. You're a Gryffindor."

"I don't think so, Ella. They were Aurors who opposed You-Know-Who. I'm just a bumbling, clumsy kid who was put in the wrong house."

Ella shook her head, "No. I don't believe that for a second. You were the one who stood up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione your first year. Remember that? Dumbledore even saw how brave that was because it's harder to stand up to your friends than your enemies. You've got something to lose when it comes to friends. I think you're brave, not at all bumbling."

"What about clumsy?" Neville asked with a small grin.

She laughed, "I can't defend you with that, Neville. You are too clumsy for your own good, but maybe, just maybe, you'll grow out of it."

Neville laughed a little, "My gran says my dad used to be just as clumsy when he was my age. Maybe I'll grow out of it someday, like he did."

"I'm sure it's possible."

"Well, I'm not completely useless, I suppose. Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I am a natural in Herbology. He gave me all of these books to work with."

Ella smiled looking at the books he hand in his hands, "That's wonderful, Neville!"

"Maybe one day, professors will say that for other classes."

She rested her hand on his shoulder, "I think they will. I really do."

The two headed back to the castle shortly after. Ella had enough time to grab a sandwich off the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall before heading to the library to try and make a dent on all of her homework. The Occlumency lesson was absolutely necessary when it came to protecting herself, not to mention others, from Voldemort, but they were at a really inopportune time considering her O.W.L.s. She didn't find it likely that Snape would go easy on her if she weren't completely prepared for class the next day. Unfortunately, he wanted twelve inches of an essay over the properties of moonstones, which Ella was certain she could easily cover in four, but Snape being Snape made sure their lives would be filled with something unnecessary. Not to mention, they would be working on brewing a rather difficult potion that Ella hadn't even glanced at because of the other homework calling for her attention.

By the time Ella had wrote six inches of her essay and completed half her transfigurations homework, she had to leave to reach the dungeon. Ella got to the dungeon and knocked on the door to Professor Snape's classroom. She couldn't help her clenched jaw or apprehension. She was about to learn magic that was well beyond what someone her age was supposed to be able to learn. She was used to advanced magic as well as a challenge. She'd completed her fair share of complex spells, but this was the first time she felt that the skill could be life or death.

"Miss. Worthington."

"Hello, Professor," she looked into his cold, black eyes. Snape sneered at her.

"Professor Dumbledore assures me this will not be a fruitless endeavor on my part, and that it is of the utmost importance."

"Yes, I think anyone who knows even a hint about my situation and what's currently happening could see that I can't allow the wrong information to fall into the wrong hands. Or was my explanation from last year not sufficient?"

"When working with Occlumency, it is imperative that you learn to close your mind. You cannot allow yourself to remain open. Emotions are your enemy in this endeavor. If you allow your emotions to run rampant like most Gryffindor students, you'll be unsuccessful and whatever it is you see, will be free for the Dark Lord to take. Minds are filled with layers upon layers of information. He is skilled at working his way through an untrained mind like your own. Your mind and what you have seen is not clearly etched out for all to see, but he will be able to find it," Snape said walking to the opposite side of the room. "Clear your mind. Block out that which doesn't belong. _Legilimens!_ "

It felt like the world had slipped out from under Ella's feet and she was staring into oblivion. She could see herself being thrown into a mud puddle by Alison and her friends. Images were rushing past her, some she'd seen and others were still unknown to her.

" _Stop!"_ She shouted at the images and most of the raced away the way they'd came. A few remained flashing past her, but Ella could see they were mundane images of class notes or what she'd eaten for lunch that week. She couldn't figure out how to prevent Snape from seeing into her mind, but she had an idea of how to force him out.

The power struggle seemed immense. She could feel Snape's power with Legilimency, and the more she pushed back, the harder he fought to seek information. Visions of the future began making their way into her mind, but Ella wasn't about to let anyone see them, even a Hogwarts professor. Then an image burst into her mind.

 _The castle was crumbling, people shrieked as curses bounced off the walls. Ella could see everything unfolding at once. Hooded Death Eaters sprinted in all directions as bursts of light ricocheted of the wall above her head. Someone in front of her collapsed after being hit in the chest with the Killing Curse. Ella screamed and tried running towards whoever it was. She couldn't see, but she needed to know. She needed to stop it. The building around her shook sending her to her knees. The stone wall behind her crumbled with large stones heading towards her…_

"STOP!"

Ella was on the floor, her arms shakily holding her up. The rough stones served as a way to keep her grounded. These were intact; there was no war raging in the castle. No one had died. Ella panted and her stomach churned. That vision wasn't brought on by Legilimency, Ella was certain of that. It had come on its own accord; an ever pestering presence in her mind. Despite her best attempts at keeping the future at bay during the day time, she couldn't hold it back.

She looked up, expecting to see Snape sneering at her, or his wand posed and ready to attack her mind once more. Instead he looked to be fairing only slightly better than she was. Snape had one hand braced on a desk and was looking at her in disbelief.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She spat, slowly pushing herself back to her feet. Her body felt oddly heavy and she swayed ever so slightly.

Professor Snape straightened, "Is that the kind of future you see?"

"Typically," she whisper unable to look towards him. "It's the worst of what I've seen. They're not exactly pleasant, are they?"

Snape's jaw clenched, "You managed to do an adequate job with defending your mind from my magic. There was confusion in the beginning, but I would assume you're unused to such a direct approach at taking information. Did you purposefully send images of mundane aspects of your life to me?"

"I couldn't figure out how to expel you at first; it seemed like a way to exhaust you as well as keep you from anything important."

"What happened at the end? You lost control of everything and revealed critical information to me," Snape's sneer made Ella seethe.

"It wasn't something I could prevent. Visions that come in the daytime are too unpredictable to stop. It caught me off guard. I'd like to see you in all your glory control it. Then again, being a prat doesn't make you any better at controlling an ability no one else has, does it?" Ella hissed.

His eyes glinted, "Talk to me like that again and you'll be losing points before Gryffindor can get a lead."

"That would make your day wouldn't it? Well, take points away and I may let it slip to Harry Potter why you hate him so much," Ella retorted with a glare of her own. Snape didn't show any of the shock Ella could imagine the words caused. She wasn't even sure why she said it. She'd never been one to blackmail, and it was a terrible feeling to threaten a professor, even one who was a git. Snape constantly was unfair to her and her classmates, she was sick of facing people who thought they could control her because they believed they had more power than her. Her fists clenched. Ella knew she had power but didn't want to use it. Not on Snape. Not even on Voldemort.

"I'm sorry." She looked up at him then back at the floor. "I wouldn't…I wouldn't tell anyone something so personal. I just got frustrated. You're a frustrating professor because I know whose side you are on, yet you act so… Forget it. You may be the one who took me out of the Muggle World, but you're certainly not the kind of person I imagined you would be."

"We shall work on your Occlumency until the end of the hour. I'll send word when we will meet for our next lesson. I expect a better attitude then."

For the next twenty minutes, Ella found herself scrambling to build a defense with her Occlumency. It seemed her practice with keeping the future at bay in her dreams was paying off with this. Snape never saw an ounce of the future the rest of the time she was in the dungeon. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't access the dreams.

"You seem to be performing at a satisfactory level with controlling your mind, but you are still weak. The future may be safe but Legilimency does more than delve into the mind, it can go so far as to creating torturing images that leave its victim begging for death or control the other human in a way not so different from the Imperious Curse."

"I think we established early in the evening that I've seen enough horrific images that he couldn't really scare me with it," Ella said. She tried to hide her exhaustion from the professor, but had the feeling that he could tell she was ready to collapse. It felt like she hadn't slept in days, and she couldn't even go to bed when she got back to the Common Room because she had too much homework to finish. The thought of doing homework made her want to vomit.

"You are dismissed."

Ella didn't say a word back and left the room. The trip back to Gryffindor Tower was luckily Filch free, and for once, the portrait didn't put up a fuss about her coming in late. She must have looked as tired as she felt for such humane treatment from the Fat Lady.

There were still quite a large number of people in the Common Room when Ella came back up. She glanced around the room seeing Harry and Ron in one corner of the room with Crookshanks, but no sign of Katie. Ella figured she must have been in the library trying to finish her homework. She finally found Fred and George sitting in the corner working on something by themselves. None of their other friends were anywhere in sight and the two seemed to be shying away from those around them –certainly not something they usually do.

"You two look like you're plotting to rob Gringotts," she joked moving towards their table. George snatched the parchment off the table before she could see one word of it.

He cleared his throat awkwardly as an affronted look crossed her face, "We're working on something."

Ella glanced at Fred then to George again, "And? I'm not telling your mum about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. None of your siblings are. You don't have to be secretive about that."

"It's not that."

"It's private."

She looked at the two of them in confusion, "Private?" The two continued to stare at her. "Fine then, I need quiet to do my homework anyway." She turned from them before they could say another word and went to an empty table across the room.

For an hour, Ella thrust herself into her homework completing it with such ferocity she wondered why she hadn't done homework while offended before. The twins always kept her up to date on whatever they were doing. The fact she was now kicked out of their circle made it feel like she had been completely kicked out of their friendship. Part of her knew she was getting worked up over what was most likely nothing, but their attitude coupled with her mental exhaustion made everything feel irrational. Within the hour she completed her homework for the next day without much of a hitch. She was too focused on not paying attention to the twins, Fred especially, that she'd been able to do what she originally assumed was impossible. Granted, if this was how they were going to act and what she needed to do to pass her O.W.L.s, so be it.

Ella gathered her books and homework assignments into a bag. She passed by Harry and Ron, wishing them luck on their Divinations homework before heading up to the girl's dormitory for bed. She didn't even glance at the twins.

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 **I hope this makes up for things! I've also already got the next chapter completed. If you're not angry with me and could review to show me you're all still here, I'd love to post it! Again, I'm sorry! Hope you liked it!**


	15. Chapter 15: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

**Ta-da! Told you'd I'd be back soon! Enjoy! (I don't own anything, it belongs to J.K. Rowling!)**

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Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

Ella woke up early the next morning to work on the homework that would be due later in the week. She'd made excellent headway the night before, enough to get a full night's sleep, but she wasn't at a point where she could allow herself to slip behind. Shortly after she started working on her things at her table in the Common Room, Katie was joining her with an equally filled bag of homework. They didn't need to explain what they were doing up. It was obvious just because of their year. Aside from a few questions about different assignments they shared, not much was said. They were still too tired to comprehend much more than what their assignments asked of them.

"You two didn't stay up all night, did you?" Angelina asked rubbing her eyes. Alicia followed sleepily behind her pulling a crammed bag up by its strap. While the twins, Lee, and Angelina had gotten rid of most of their unnecessary classes, Alicia seemed to be taking just as many as she had before her O.W.L.s. Ella figured she'd be the same way since she wanted to be an Auror. It'd be worth it to get the job of her dreams, but the classes would make it a constant struggle.

"Of course not," Katie said closing her Muggle Studies book and putting it into her bag. "We just got up early."

Angelina laughed, "Welcome to your fifth year routine, unfortunately. I can't tell you how many mornings Alicia and I were up early doing homework. It was impossible not to."

"Because of how much homework you were getting? I never saw you two down here in the morning." Ella said as she also packed her things.

Alicia snorted, "Well, that, and the fact that everyone else was studying in the morning. All the fifth year girls would get up and study in our dormitory so we could help each other with answers. It was like breakfast in bed, only we hated it."

The two sixth years managed to pull Ella and Katie away from their homework, which Ella's was nearly finished, and go to breakfast. Only half of the school was up and about when they got down to the Great Hall. Most students were enjoying a few moments of sleep in their Common Rooms or most likely getting ready at this point. The girls sat down and began eating. It wasn't long until the boys joined them. The twins sat across from Ella, and the tension between the three was almost palpable. The four others shifted uncomfortably, not knowing why the three closest friends in their group were refusing to acknowledge each other.

Everyone looked up as a flurry of wings came in through the windows. The owl post had arrived with everyone's mail. Lee received a package from his parents and Katie's owl stopped to drop off a letter. Ella was shocked when a tawny owl landed in front of her with a letter attached to its leg. She untied it and the owl took off immediately. She quickly looked at the untidy scrawl on the envelope.

"Who's sending you a letter?"

Ella looked up as Fred finally acknowledge her. His tone wasn't rude or mocking; he stated it as a simple question. For some reason, it grated on her nerves even more that he hadn't said it with some form of attitude.

"It's private…or isn't that what the two of you told me last night?"

The twins shared an ashamed looked, but Ella couldn't care less. One look at the writing told her that she couldn't read the letter at the Gryffindor table anyways. She stood and began to leave with her letter. She'd nearly finished her breakfast, so it wasn't much of a loss. It was too important of a letter to wait until after classes to open it.

"I'll see you later," she told her friends as she made her way down the hall and out the door.

"Ella, wait!"

She turned to see Fred walking briskly to catch up to her. The part of her that was still miffed by his behavior told her to leave, but the butterflies in her stomach told her to stay. In any case, her feet refused to move any further.

"What?"

Fred stopped and looked at her. In his mind a thousand thoughts raced about how beautiful she looked or an apology for how he and George had acted the night before. He wanted badly to spill everything he'd been thinking about her, and finally just ask her if she felt the same way about him. He glanced down and saw the letter in her hands.

Instead of saying anything he'd originally planned, he blurted out, "Why do you keep getting letters? Who's sending them to you?"

"My fugitive pen pal from Azkaban. He's supposedly innocent," Ella said sarcastically. Fred just stared at her. "Why do you care so much you're not my boyfriend!"

Both of them stood in shocked silence at her words. Fred's eyes widened and Ella felt her chest constrict. Why had she said that? She was annoyed that he wasn't giving up on questioning her about the letter, but she didn't have to say boyfriend. She should've said brother…of all her options, brother would've been so much smarter.

"Sorry, it was Dumbledore…" she mumbled before walking down the hall. She didn't even turn to look back and see if Fred was following her. It wasn't necessary though. He was too shocked to even figure out how to follow her. He was convinced she knew he liked her, but her reaction showed she didn't want to be anything more than friends with him.

Ella turned into the hallway of her Transfiguration class and slide down the wall. No one was in sight, which was perfect for reading this letter. She could recognize the writing anywhere. Her response to Fred hadn't been a lie, Sirius was getting in contact with her. This was more worrying than her class work load. She carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter:

 _Dear Ella,_

 _I know I said in my last letter that I would be more careful, but these are desperate times. I am heading your way. Recent events regarding our mutual friend has made it imperative that I return. I am being as careful as I can, I assure you that much. My travelling companion and I are sending others on a false trail, then we'll be on our way to you. I'll find some way to contact you when I get close enough._

 _This letter is to ask if you'd be willing to meet me when I arrive. I know you are bound to be busy with your work, but I want to know if you are experiencing anything strange like he has been. Look out for him, will you? He's about as rash as I am at times. You are one of the few people I trust to keep him safe. I wish Mooney were still with you for help, but you're just as able to handle this as he would've been. Maybe more so._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Padfoot_

 _P.S. We really need to give you your own nickname._

Ella closed her eyes and held the paper close to her. She hated the idea of him coming back, but she hated that something was happening with Harry that was concerning enough to make him abandon his time hiding abroad. She didn't want to ask Harry and reveal to him that Sirius was worried. She decided she would just keep a close eye on him and anything that might be putting him in danger.

Transfigurations went by smoothly and McGonagall seemed to be almost pleased with how well Ella was grasping the advanced spells. Katie and Cormac were quick to beg her to help them out. Ella agreed even though she would probably regret it later. Their next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ella felt sick to her stomach every time she stepped into the same room as Moody. Ever since he showed the Unforgivable Curses in that first lesson, she'd wanted nothing to do with him.

"Today, we're starting an interesting unit that won't last as long as our next. If I see some promise among you lot, I may just add it in to the fourth year's schedule next week. We'll be working on fighting the Imperious Curse," Moody announced glaring around the room.

The class seemed to freeze in disbelief. Even the Slytherins seemed speechless at the idea. Ella's hands clenched into fists. This seemed like a terrible idea, and the fact he would put the fourth years through it as well made it worse. Ella didn't want to think about Harry, Ron, or Hermione going through this sort of curse. Sure, it wasn't the Cruciatus Curse, but Ella still didn't think it was right.

"Sir, isn't this illegal? I don't think Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore wants you all to be able to defend yourself. That's why I'm here and why we're learning this. Now line up." The Slytherin who had dared to speak up was now silent like the rest of the class as they all moved to form a line. Cormac, Ella, and Katie ended up near the middle of the line. Ella watched as the first three people did whatever task Moody thought of without hesitation. Then one Slytherin managed to fight for a solid thirty seconds before submitting. Moody made a huge deal over his strength against the curse. With a little more practice, he would be able to fight it completely off, or so Moody told the class. He looked fairly exhausted by the amount he managed to do originally.

A couple more people went and then Ella found herself standing in the center of the room waiting for the curse to take over. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt her palms get clammy. The last thing she needed was to be made a fool of in front of the class. She had always been good at different spells and counter-curses, but this wasn't something a spell could block. Ella needed strength she wasn't certain she had in order to fight this.

The world around her melted into a free space. Her mind felt blank. All of her worries about Fred and her feelings towards him seemed to vanish.

 _Dance. A little Irish jig._

Ella began to move her feet to a beat she remembered hearing at the Quidditch World Cup. She just wanted to dance like no one was watching.

 _But people are watching._

Her feet stopped. A bit of the world began to come into her vision she saw the class flash for a second before another wave of blissful quiet raced through her mind.

 _Dance! Do it!_

Everything seemed to melt except for this command, but Ella remembered. She had to remember in order to protect her dreams, her friends, and herself from Moody. His spell felt completely wrong. She stood tall.

 _I won't._

The classroom came back fully this time. Those around her seemed shocked, except for Moody. For a split second Ella saw a frustrated expression on his face. Ella didn't know why. The point of this exercise was to figure out how to block the curse and keep themselves safe from being controlled. The look disappeared quickly as he turned to address the class.

"She was off to a rough start that could have proved enough to disorient her for a while, but she could throw it off easily after a few moments. Take note, with CONSTANT VIGILENCE you can prevent yourself from being fully taken over. Congratulations Miss. Worthington."

Ella returned to her spot in the room without acknowledging the compliment. She felt extremely sick. Cormac went after she did, but ended up prancing around the room without much resistance. He'd fought at first and at the end seemed to regain his footing, but he never fully threw the curse off. Katie had some of the least resistance in the class. It worried Ella immensely despite the waves of nausea she had crashing into her currently.

" _Your turn, Barty, dear!" Bellatrix Lestrange cackled. Ella recognized the mane of black hair from her nightmares. She was the woman who tortured Neville's parents into insanity. A young man with sandy blond hair stepped forward with his wand drawn. Ella recognized him as well, though this time he looked downright vicious compared to his trial in front of the Ministry._

" _With pleasure!" He rolled up his sleeves._

" _Please no! No!" A woman screamed. Ella's heart slammed into her chest. She knew that voice, she knew that scream. Neville's mum._

"Ella!" Katie was holding onto her shoulders, but Ella was already shaking too hard to be held still. Ella was sitting on the floor for some reason with Katie kneeling behind her. Cormac stood behind Katie looking extremely concerned. The rest of the class had left, even Moody had gone to his office.

Cormac look down, "You need to go to the infirmary?"

"No," Ella moved shakily to her feet. "If I miss a class, I'll never catch up."

Katie held out her arm so Ella could lean against it, "Future?"

"Past, but I don't know why."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of illness for Ella. She skipped dinner to work on homework and avoid Fred and George, mainly Fred. He seemed to also be avoiding her. The twins sat in a corner of the Common Room again without any of their other friends near them. It annoyed Ella almost as much as having to fight through her tossing stomach. The whole Common Room had emptied by the time she got caught up with her homework.

" _Afraid to share the future?"_

 _Voldemort's voice made Ella cringe._

" _I wouldn't share it with you to save my life. Glad to see you can't break through," Ella spat._

 _He laughed, "You've proved your worth in Occlumency, but it's no matter. As I grow in strength, I'll surpass your flimsy walls."_

" _As you grow stronger, I will be too. By the time you reach a level where you could get through my mind and see the future, I'll be too strong for you. You will never see the future through me."_

 _Voldemort was silent for a moment but Ella could feel his presence like a bad smell that refused to dissipate. He was trying to find a way through her mind, but Ella knew he couldn't. He was trapped in a state where he could get no answers, but Ella wasn't satisfied with that._

" _Get out."_

 _A rush of air blasted through her dream and she immediately felt Voldemort leave. She was free to explore the future in short bursts for the rest of the evening._

Ella opened her eyes feeling refreshed for once. Even though she hadn't encountered Voldemort since starting Occlumency, she could feel herself gaining more control over her dreams. She was sifting through different visions with ease. During the day, homework and classes dominated her life, but at night she was watching a flurry of disasters crossing the country. The only thing she couldn't control was a permanent date. The visions all blurred into one massive panicked state. Ella had no idea how to pin down one specific occurence. The most she could do was isolate a single vision and try to analyze it. More often than not she woke up before figuring out too much. The vision would fly out of her grasp before anything too concrete formed. She was just pleased she could control it better than ever before.

For two weeks, Ella managed to keep herself afloat in all aspects of her life. Defense Against the Dark Arts turned from having the Imperious Curse cast on them to studying the proper dueling techniques. She'd had a couple more Occlumency lessons with Snape who, despite being a complete arse at times, seemed to be teaching her how to block out her mind. By blocking his jabs at her and her friends, she learned how to block him from her mind. She just had to control her emotions.

Granted, Ella would be happy to fully push her emotions away. Fred and her seemed to come to a wordless, mutual agreement not to acknowledge their awkward argument. Things were tense between the two of them, but they could be in each other's presence without everyone feeling on edge. The twins still seemed to be hiding something, but between dreams, homework, Occlumency, and keeping an eye on Harry, Ella couldn't find much time to investigate what the twins were up to. She had to trust they could handle it on their own.

"Are you trying to separate yourself from your friends?"

Ella looked up to see Angelina standing in front of her library table with her arms crossed. She was alone, but Ella figured at the very least, Lee and Alicia would be told everything Ella said. They probably thought it'd be smarter to send one person to talk to her instead of bombarding her.

"I'm not separating myself, I'm keeping up with my workload," Ella said quickly moving back to look at her book. "You all have said that this was the hardest year you've ever had. If I decide to study in the library where it's quiet, that shouldn't be concerning, it should just be expected."

"You could study in the Common Room…"

Ella looked up from her book, "With the typical commotion? I don't think so. I wouldn't be able to get anything done in the time I have. Besides, you know I need to get top grades to be an Auror. I have to guarantee my grades will be great."

Angelina rolled her eyes, "We know that, but you can't deny that you've been avoiding Fred and George. What happened when Fred followed you out of the hall?"

It felt like the air had been knocked out of Ella's lungs. She grabbed at the different books on the table trying to find the next assignment she needed to finish. Angelina's eyes burnt holes in the back of her head.

She refused to look up, "It was just awkward, okay? I said he wasn't my boyfriend, and he obviously is glad he isn't my boyfriend. I still don't know why I even said it! It was absolutely idiotic of me. It just slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it."

"You're absolutely insane. He wants to be with you; everyone can see that!"

"If that were true, why is he avoiding me as much as I'm avoiding him?"

Angelina sat down at the table, "Because if either one of you didn't care so much, why would you put up such a fuss about little things? You two have been in love with each other for years. Someone has got to just suck it up and clear the air."

Ella sighed, "I don't know. Fred and George seem content on their own right now, and I'm completely overwhelmed with my homework. I barely can sleep. The only thing going right is that I'm finally in control of my dreams. I'm working on completely harnessing them to figure out what is going to happen and I feel like I'm close. I must be, but I'm always just a little too slow to getting it. That's my priority right now, not a crush that's going nowhere."

"I'm not going to pretend to know what your dreams are like. I don't. I can't know because I've never experienced anything close to seeing the future. All I'm asking is that you come back to your friends. We can help you study and complete your assignments. We did them last year, and we'd be willing to help you." Angelina held her hand out to Ella. "Can we go back to the tower now?"

She smiled slightly before taking her hand and standing up, "Sure, but you're going to have to help me take all these books back. That's your punishment for being the one to come talk to me."

"I suppose it's only fair."

They returned to the Common Room, and Ella saw Fred and George heading up the stairs towards their dormitory. Her eyes locked with Fred's for a moment. He gave a small, hesitant grin, which she returned with an equally small smile. Her heart pounded in her chest painfully, but he disappeared before she could say anything.

"You two are oblivious," Katie said from behind her. Ella turned to glare but it quickly died as her friend wrapped her in a hug. "Don't do this year alone. We haven't gone through anything at Hogwarts alone yet, and I am not doing my O.W.L.s without you."

"I'm fairly certain we weren't petrified together…"

"That would be your fault for wandering off on your own," Katie elbowed her in the side. "I'm kidding of course, but I'm helping you whether you like it or not. Consider the extra spell help you were going to give me, over. We're going to learn them together."

For the rest of the evening, the girls spent a large amount of time trying to shrink the enormous plie of O.W.L. homework. Ella had to admit Angelina was right. She and Alicia were a huge help when it came to getting everything done and understanding their assignments.

In the morning, Ella headed down to the Great Hall before Katie had rolled out of bed. She needed to work a little on some an advanced Transfiguration spell so she would have it perfect during class. Fred and George were her only friends down there. They were both talking together in hushed voices so no one could overhear them. For a moment, Ella considered sitting somewhere else, but she thought better of it. They were her friends, and she would sit with them.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Fred leaped to his feet spilling his pumpkin juice, "No!" He turned to see the orange liquid soaking into his breakfast. "Err, nothing important anyway."

Ella smiled slightly, "Right… Then can I sit with you both?"

George smirked, "Of course. Take a seat that's not completely covered in Fred's breakfast." Said twin turned and smacked George on the back of the head only causing the three of them to start laughing like the would have before Ella and Fred's awkward fight. Some strain was still there between the two of them; each kept trying to make little eye contact and not tease each other too much. George kept a wary eye on them both, unsure of how to help push them back in the right direction.

"Oh good. I'm glad I found the three of you," Ella turned to see Hermione standing with a box in her hands.

"What's in the box?"

Hermione beamed proudly and opened the lid, "They're S.P.E.W. badges I've created. I'm bringing awareness to the horrors House Elves face on a daily basis. These poor creatures work without rest or pay; they're basically slaves."

George rolled his eyes, "They're happy, Hermione."

"I don't believe that for a minute!"

Ella smiled kindly at Hermione, "How much is the badge?"

Hermione glared at George a second longer before smiling at Ella, "Two Sickles. Would you like to help me with protesting and talking to the Elves around the castle?"

She handed Hermione two Sickles out of her robes, "I can take the badge, but it's my O.W.L. year, you understand, right?"

"Of course, at least you are willing to make _some_ improvement toward their welfare by paying for a badge." She glared at the twins who refused to cave until she stormed off.

"She's not going to give up."

"Neither are we," Fred replied.

"Let her try to outlast us. She can't convince us the House Elves are unhappy with their work, you've seen them!" George huffed crossing his arms.

Ella smiled, "Regardless, she just wants to do good. Now I need to get to Transfigurations and learn how to perfectly do the Inanimatus Conjurus spell before McGonagall decides I've failed."

As she made her way towards the Entrance of the castle, she passed by Professor Moody. Their eyes met for a split second and a wave of uneasiness spread through her. It felt like she'd walked through a ghost. His eyes were calculating and cold. Her pace quickened to get to her classroom before anything could happen.

The rest of the morning felt like she was swimming against the current of a strong river. Her classes were challenging but not impossibly so. Everything felt much more difficult to complete ever since the seed of disquiet had been planted that morning. Ella felt on edge, but she had no reason to be. Moody was a professor, Dumbledore had chosen him and there were countless people who knew about his heroic acts as an Auror. It didn't matter what Ella tried to tell herself, she felt restless and nervous whenever he was around. She hated to admit it though, she'd handled her fair share of suspicious figures and professors in the past, but she felt like it was simply paranoia, nothing more.

Katie and Ella made their way to the entrance hall and saw Fred, George, and a crowd of other students standing in front of a large sign above the marble staircase. The two rushed over, pushing their way to the tall twins in the front of the crowd. Both of the boys looked at the fifth years as they took in the sign.

"Triwizard Tournament. The delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at six o'clock on Friday the 30th," Ella read out loud. "Brilliant! I was afraid they'd never come!"

"Look further it says lessons are ending early that day too. That's almost more exciting than the new schools," Fred said pointing at the sign.

Ella looked for herself, "Thank god! Less time with Professor Moody."

George glanced at her, "Doesn't sound like a good deal to me. Don't you think he's excellent, Ella? I would've thought you'd love to have an ex-Auror as a professor."

"He gives her the creeps. She hasn't liked him since he first showed us the Unforgivable Curses, and every time he used her to show off the limited effects of the Imperious Curse on her, I felt like she was trying to melt his face off with her glare." Katie told the boys.

Ella's face grew red, "I do not glare at Professor Moody! And I don't hate him either, I just think he is a little….much."

Katie rolled her eyes, "Much. Right, that's it."

"Anyway," Ella said loudly to pull their attention back to the sign. "It's only about a week until they get here. I suppose they'll be here for the Halloween Feast. Think the tournament will begin soon after?"

"Well, they've got to pick the Champions first," Fred said looking at the sign. "We've got our work set out for us now George. The clocks ticking to get a solid idea to be the champion."

Ella laughed, "You're not still on that, are you? I would've thought you'd drop it by now. There's no way Dumbledore is going to be fooled by anything a student is going to come up with."

Fred grinned, "Oh ye of little faith, George and I have been racking our brains quite a bit over this one. We figure if anyone can crack the code, it'll be us."

"Good luck," she said and Fred smiled widely at her.

"Who needs luck when you're a Weasley twin?"

The morning of the 30th started out like any other. Ella woke up a little later than usual, but she managed to make it down to breakfast just as the Owls were delivering the morning post. She made her way to sit across from Fred and George who were conversing quietly. It had become commonplace for the two of them to chat secretly at different points of the day. There was a part of Ella that wanted to know what they were discussing, but they were entitled to some privacy. She knew she didn't share even close to everything with them, so she couldn't be upset that they didn't share everything with her.

Rowena landed in front of her with a package tied to her leg. Ella smiled at the bird and took the parcel off her. She absentmindedly opened the package while handing some toast to her pet who affectionately nuzzled the side of her hand.

"Now who are you getting a package from?" Ella looked up to see Fred's shocked face as George questioned her.

"Your mum."

"That's rude."

Ella rolled her eyes, "No, you idiot. It's actually from your mum. Look here at the letter." She held out the parchment and both twins saw their mother's signature at the bottom.

George snorted, "That makes a lot more sense." Ella shook her head and read through the letter.

 _Ella,_

 _I hope your year is going well. Both Ginny and the twins have mentioned you seem a little tense in their letters. I know this can be a rather difficult year for anyone, but from what I understand, you've always been a brilliant student, and I'm sure you will have nothing to worry about when your tests finally arrive. Arthur and I are so proud of you already and we both wanted you to know that it's okay to ask for help, whether that's from us or one of your friends. I've sent a box of treats along with this note. I hope you enjoy them!_

 _Love,_

 _Molly Weasley_

She opened the package and found some homemade cookies and her favorite kind of fudge that only Mrs. Weasley could seem to get perfect every time. Fred looked over at the package.

"You know, Ella, I think you're her favorite. During O.W.L. year for George and I, we never got sweets. We just got notes saying, _if I hear you two got detention one more time you'll never see the light of day again!_ " Fred said mimicking Molly extremely well.

"Maybe if you two didn't cause havoc every waking moment of the day, she'd send you sweets."

Fred smirked, "And where's the fun in that? You wouldn't like us if we were boring and kept our noses clean. Besides, if we also got packages, who would you share with?" He reached over to grab a piece of fudge. Ella smacked his hand away.

"I'll agree that I wouldn't like you nearly as much if you were boring, but you're mad if you think I'm sharing this with you."

He rubbed his hand in mock-hurt, but before he could reply the warning bell sounded making the group part ways for their classes. Ella made it to Divinations just in time to beat the final bell. The lesson went rather smoothly. Cormac and Ella were still annoyed by Cho's incessant bragging about her abilities, and Marietta positively drove Ella up a wall. Cormac seemed close to hitting his head on the table hard enough to land him in the Hospital Wing. Ella believed he would have if the other schools weren't arriving later that day.

"Oh Professor Trelawney! I think I've found what my most recent dream means!" Cho cried out. The bug-eyed professor hurried over to her and quickly scanned her journal entry and hear what she had to say."

"My dear, I think the future smiles upon you with love in the future! I see it in the stars as well as your dreams!" Trelawney gushed.

"And I see it in the way Cedric ogles at her from across the Great Hall during meals," Ella whispered to Cormac who covered his mouth.

Trelawney turned her large eyes on Ella, "What have you seen, Miss. Worthington?"

Ella paled, "Here." She pushed her book into Trelawney's hands hoping the professor wouldn't read anything out loud. A hush settled over Marietta and Cho as they tried to hear. Many of their other classmates also went silent prompting Ella to believe that Cho and Marietta weren't very good at keeping secrets.

For once, the Divinations professor showed no signs of emotion as she read through Ella's journal. Ella was actually impressed with the professionalism Trelawney currently showed. She'd been completely honest in recording her dreams; she knew they were specific and getting rather dark.

"Tell me more about this cottage," Trelawney finally said.

She breathed a sigh of relief at one of the less troubling parts of her dreams, "It's just a cottage. It's very small and made out of wood. Whenever I see it, it's a great distance away most of the time I can only see the smoke from a chimney, so I think whatever it means is in the distant future. From where I see it, the cottage looks harmless, but I get this horrible feeling every time I look at it. It's like I know I should not go to the cottage; I should never want to be even remotely close to it. I'm not sure why, but it's a very dark place."

By this point, every student was paying attention to the exchange. Trelawney nodded and looked at a few passages closely, as if she were searching for details to back up whatever she was thinking. For once, Ella didn't feel like she was talking to a fraud. Trelawney seemed like a mentor, her usual air of superiority and all-seeing power had faded away to a much more demure personality. If she acted like this for every class, Ella would never have a problem with her.

"I believe you're right that this specific instance is far away, but I am worried about your near future. I sense you are in great danger, and your dreams do not put my nerves at ease in any way. I am not sure what is in store for you, but I fear it more than I have feared anything in a long while."

The bell rang in the distance, but Ella felt too heavy to move. It wasn't until Cormac pulled her arm that Ella stood up and followed him out of the class. A lot of their classmates stared at Ella with anxious expressions. They typically wouldn't have bothered her, but Ella felt numb. The students began to disperse as they got closer to the middle of the school.

"Are you alright?" Cormac asked still leading her to their History of Magic lesson.

She looked toward the moving staircase. "I'm not sure."

He frowned, "Why? It's just typical Trelawney, predicting something awful is going to happen to you as always. It wouldn't be Divinations if she weren't saying you were doomed or something." Even as he said it, Ella could tell he didn't completely believe himself.

"It sounded so rational though. It didn't have the bravado her usual predictions do. This felt sincere, troubled in fact. Everything I've been thinking… She said it. Trelawney, the woman who predicts terrible things happening to students every week, is afraid of something bad actually happening to me. This wasn't a silly thing she was throwing about, McLaggen. This was real and you know it."

Cormac shook his head, "She's getting to you. There's nothing; it's nothing."

Ella opened her mouth but realized he would never listen to her. He was determined for nothing to be wrong in the world, and she would never be able to convince him otherwise. Her classes began moving fast, but she didn't want them to unless they'd slowly build in speed until Defense Against the Dark Arts passed in a blur.

Luckily, that's what happened.

The class took their final notes on jinxes, working on learning the proper techniques and wand positions. It was a shortened class and as they all gathered their things, Moody reminded them that their next lesson would be spent learning the proper dueling etiquette, and then they'd begin practicing. The Gryffindor fifth years raced up to the tower so they could throw their bags into their rooms before racing back down the stairs towards the Entrance Hall where all the other students were. Ella, Katie, and Cormac lined up with the other fifth year students, the Weasley twins and Lee were just behind them. Ella could barely see the top of Ron's head bobbing in the background. She brushed her fingers nervously through her hair hoping that McGonagall wouldn't admonish her appearance in any way. She'd already snapped at both Ron and Pavarti Patil.

Everyone began to descend down the hill towards the main drive of the school. Ella found it a little chilly out, but the excitement kept her warmer than her cloak ever could. She'd never seen another magic school, or when she found out something like that existed, she never thought she'd would get to meet the students. Murmurs rippled through the crowd of Hogwarts students filled with questions of how they'd arrive.

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" Dumbledore called out. There was a flurry of movement as all of the students began searching everywhere for what Dumbledore might have seen.

"Look up!" Katie hissed and Ella's eyes found the dark shape heading towards the grounds.

The first years went into hysterics with one of them yelling, " _It's a dragon!_ "

Dennis Creevey shouted back, "Don't be stupid…it's a flying house!"

Ella squinted at the distant outline and while Dennis was closer to the correct answer than his classmate, it still wasn't quite right. It was more of a carriage than anything, and as it got closer Ella could see it was being pulled by several elephant sized horses with wings. Her eyes widened by the beauty of the giant animals as they pulled the powder blue carriage by them. The first few rows of students scrambled back into the rows behind them as the carriage got a little too close for comfort while landing. The neat rows they'd originally been in were now more like blobs. As the hooves hit the ground, a tremor went across the grounds sending Ella and Katie into Fred and George's arms instead of the ground like some students.

The carriage crashed down as well and Ella moved forward once more to try and see through the crowd of people who was going to come out. At first there was nothing until a boy in pale blue robes, the color of the carriage, jumped out and fiddled with a magical staircase. Not a moment later, a woman Hagrid's size stepped out onto the steps. Many of the students gasped at her size, which Ella found a little rude. She could hardly help her size, though Ella couldn't stop herself from staring. The Headmistress of the Beauxbatons academy was imposing, proper, and formidable. Someone started to applaud and the rest of the student body began to follow their lead.

"My dear Madam Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts," Dumbledore told her. Ella glanced behind the professors and saw a group of students dressed in the same silky blue robes the boy had been wearing earlier. They were staring at the school and its students with apprehension written across their faces. Very few students seemed to be focusing on them. They were too busy watching the exchange between the two Headmasters.

Soon enough these students had moved into the school and everyone was watching the sky for Durmstrang to appear. By now, Ella was standing in between Fred and George with Katie in front of her. The chatter from the Beauxbaton's appearance had only amplified since they entered the castle.

"I'm not the Seer here, but I don't think they'll be travelling by air," Fred whispered in Ella's ear.

She turned to him and smiled, "Are my abilities rubbing off on you?"

"Maybe…but take a look there."

Ella glanced at the lake just in time to hear Lee yelled, "The lake! Look at the lake!" The entire school was now standing as tall as they could to see the lake. A whirlpool was forming in the black surface of the choppy lake water. A ship began coming up from the whirlpool.

"Wicked!" Fred and George whistled. As the ship docked, a group of students walked off the boat. A great deal of them were built like brick walls and they all seemed to be brooding. Dumbledore called out to the Headmaster of the Durmstrang school as Ella took in all of the students passing her. They seemed quite tough compared to the Beauxbatons and even Hogwarts students. In the entire group, Ella only saw one or two girls. Yet, Ella knew well that brawn couldn't always beat brains. There was one boy who seemed to be extremely different from all the others. Ella caught glimpse of a smaller boy with blond hair and blue eyes. He caught her eye for only a moment before passing by and disappearing from view.

" _Krum!_ "

A student's cry echoed above the murmurs and Ella turned abruptly to see the phenomenal Seeker moving to the front of the group of students. Her eyes widened and she looked at her friends who were all staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Every student in the school seemed to be babbling about him in excitement.

"I didn't know he was a student!" Katie squealed grabbing onto Ella's hand.

Angelina stood on her toes to see him better, "He was astounding in the Quidditch World Cup; I had no idea he went to Durmstrang!"

"He's the champion for them. He must be! I'm not even sure why the other boys showed up!" George said bouncing on his heels.

"Hogwarts students. Now it's time to welcome our guests with a grand feast. Back to the Great Hall, all of you!" Dumbledore called out over the pandemonium. "Time to begin the festivities."

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 **A/N: What did you think? Anyone has predictions? Please review with your thoughts! If I can get 10 reviews I'll post the next chapter earlier than next Saturday! :) Hope you liked it!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Goblet of Fire

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling!**

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The Goblet of Fire

Everyone made their way into the Great Hall behind the Durmstrang students and Hogwarts professors. It seemed like the whole school had been absolutely star struck by Krum's appearance. Ella was trying to stand as tall as she could to see him. Lee jumped beside her trying to get a better view.

"Maybe if I stood on your shoulders…" Katie began turning to Ella.

"I'd sooner just levitate you than try that disaster. We both know we wouldn't last like that for five seconds," she responded moving towards the Gryffindor table. The Durmstrangs stood in the opening of the Entrance Hall, uncertain about where to sit. For a moment, Ella was going to be the Gryffindor bold enough to suggest they sit on their side of the room, but just as she opened her mouth, she caught eyes with the mysterious blond boy again. Katie pulled on her arm and she found herself sitting between Katie and Fred at the table.

In no time, everyone had found their spots. The Beauxbatons seemed to enjoy the Ravenclaw table while the Durmstrangs found themselves at the Slytherin table. Fred and George were practically seething that Krum was sitting near Malfoy. Ella took in their guests with interest. The way some of the Beauxbatons shivered showed that they didn't live as far north as Hogwarts was, but the Durmstrang students seemed perfectly comfortable with their situation. The heavy fur robes they all seemed to be wrapped in proved that they were probably used to much colder weather than they'd see at Hogwarts.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and, most particularly, guests. I have the great pleasure of welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable," Dumbledore announced once everyone had found their seats. One of the shivering Beauxbatons gave a sarcastic laugh at those words. Ella huffed at the rude behavior hoping that not all the Beauxbatons would prove that rude. Then again, they could have travelled a great distance and just be tired, hungry, and a bit irritable.

Dumbledore ignored the outburst, "The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

Ella glanced at the gold platters that had been sitting in front of them and smiled as food magically appeared. Some of the Durmstrangs seemed particularly delighted by this display, though the Beauxbatons continued to be unimpressed. It hardly escaped any of the Hogwarts students' notice that the House Elves had gone all out for this particular feast including many dishes from what was probably the native country of their guests. Not everything looked exactly edible, but Ella at least tried a good deal of the foreign foods.

"Think we still have a shot with Krum in the running?" George asked his twin.

Fred snorted, "He might be a good Seeker, but we don't have a clue how brilliant he'll be at these tasks. I say we still go for it, and after tonight, we'll know how."

She nodded casually, though she knew their attempts would do nothing good. She figured she'd have a good laugh at the very least, and she'd keep her promise from the Quidditch World Cup. They were going to do something stupid and she was going to say nothing.

"So what are your ideas so far?" Ella asked Fred, but his attention was completely elsewhere. He wasn't the only one. Lee and George also were completely taken by a Beauxbaton girl who'd walked to the Gryffindor table for a French dish. Ron's mouth moved like a fish out of water as he tried handing the dish to her. Ella felt a flare of jealousy rise in her chest. The girl was beautiful without a doubt. Her silvery blond hair fell down her back, and Ella could see blue eyes as vibrant as her own from down the table. Ella didn't know how, but the girl somehow seemed to make the eye color look better than she ever could. It was the same girl who'd laughed at Dumbledore earlier, and that only made Ella hate her more.

Katie looked between the boys and the Beauxbaton girl two times before smacking Lee on the back of the head, much harder than she typically would have. Alicia shrugged and did the same to George while Ella stepped on Fred's foot.

"Hey!"

"Oi!"

"What's that for?"

Without missing a beat, Katie responded, "You're being idiots and drooling over that girl. Mop it up before we have to swim to get to Gryffindor Tower tonight."

George glared, "We were not drooling over her."

"You were." The girls said in unison. The three boys awkwardly went back to eating their dinners. Ella began working on some of the truly fantastic looking deserts from the foreign countries and looking around the hall once more. The ghosts were happily roaming the tables speaking with various guests animatedly. The Durmstrangs had taken off their fur cloaks revealing deep blood red robes.

Unfortunately for the Slytherins, it didn't seem like those from Durmstrang knew much English. A few were brave enough to try talking in halted conversations with the other boys at their table, but most settled on babbling away to each other in some foreign language. The Beauxbatons seemed to be in a similar situation where Ella was catching a lot of French from the Ravenclaw table, but it didn't seem nearly as prominent among these students. Many of the Beauxbatons students were speaking with the Ravenclaws about what their schools were like and how excited they were for the tournament to begin.

As she looked towards the head table where the professors and three Headmasters were sitting, she noticed that there were two more new people. She instantly recognized Percy's boss, though he looked more tired than he had at the Quidditch World Cup. Also at the table was Ludo Bagman, looking as jovial as ever. She turned to Fred and saw he and George were also looking at Mr. Bagman, but they didn't seem nearly as thrilled as they had been at the Cup.

When the plates cleared a buzz filled the air. Everyone seemed to be filled to the brim with excitement over the beginning of the Triwizard Tournament. Fred and George leaned in to make sure they caught every word that was said when Dumbledore began to address the students in the hall.

"The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year."

"A procedure that's meant to be broken," Ella heard George whisper to his brother.

Dumbledore smiled at the boys knowingly, "But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Where there had been a few people polite enough to applaud Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman received a much warmer welcome from the students. Ella couldn't say it was fair, but the two men were vastly different in how they presented themselves. Mr. Crouch looked as severe as ever, without a trace of a smile, and Mr. Bagman, as always, seemed to be having the time of his life.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts," Dumbledore said all of this to the crowd of students. Ella noticed a shift in the crowd's posture the moment Dumbledore mentioned the champions.

Dumbledore smiled to the Hall, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch." Everyone turned to watch Filch carry in a large, wooden chest covered with jewels. Ella sat up straighter to try to see what was going to be pulled out of the casket, though she had a good idea what it was. She found it easy to be caught up in all the excitement. It was like a Quidditch match, only much more thrilling.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge," Dumbledore announced as they all watched Filch place the casket on carefully of the table in front of him. "There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways…their magical powess…their daring…their powers of deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

Ella could practically feel the silence in the Great Hall. Every student, whether they were from Hogwarts or elsewhere, were captivated by Dumbledore's words. No one was willing to move a muscle for fear that one of Dumbledore's words would be missed. She, too, held on to every word that was being said.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

With a flourish, Dumbledore pulled out his wand and tapped the casket three times. Slowly, the lid moved open and Dumbledore pulled out the wooden goblet. It was filled with a blue flame that licked the air as he set it on its chest. Ella watched the dancing fire, feeling the ancient power it held. She wondered how long it had been locked away, and whether it would ever be used again after this tournament.

Dumbledore smiled again at the people in the Hall, the flame flicking in his blue eyes, "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

Ella turned to see the twins hanging on to every word. She could see Fred calculating everything he might need to make his plans work. The devious look on his face was nothing she hadn't seen before.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line," Dumbledore warned the students. Ella couldn't believe that his way of keeping students out was an Age Line, but the simplicity of it made the idea seem more ingenious. Dumbledore continued, "Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"An Age Line!" Fred shouted gleefully, causing Ella to jump. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it?" Ella was fairly certain the answer was: no, but she'd decided to let things happen a while ago. "And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing – it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

Hermione wrinkled her nose, "But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance...we just haven't learned enough."

"Speak for yourself," George scoffed. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?" Ella glanced at Harry who seemed to consider it, but he and Ron ended up looking for Krum instead. The twins kept moving towards the Common Room instead of waiting for Harry's response.

Fred began musing out loud, "So we need some potions supplies, which since we've dropped that class, it'll be harder to get…"

"Right, and we need to know how to brew the potion…"

"If only we had a brilliant friend to help us…"

"Who was also in potions and had the things we needed…"

Both of them were staring at Ella by now who bit her bottom lip. Her eyes looked between the two, and she fought with whether she should help them to see what happened or leave it be in case it actually worked and got them into the tournament.

Ella groaned, "You can use the ingredients I have, but I'm not helping you with this. It's stupid."

"Have you seen us failing?"

"Well, no…but –"

Fred laughed, "Then why is it so stupid? Why not join us? Do have any idea how amazing you could do in this tournament? I almost think you'd be the champion; that is if you could beat me." He smirked at her.

She looked toward the ceiling of the castle, "Look, as great as this glory would be, I don't want to be in the competition. I've seen some of the events, and they're not easy. Plus, my being in the tournament is basically cheating since I already have an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing. You two can try all you want, but I'm going to just enjoy cheering on the champions and not worry about getting killed myself."

"I can't argue with you, though I wouldn't say your ability is necessarily cheating. You've just got a distinct advantage over the others," Fred told her with a playful shove.

Ella smirked, "And I suppose if you're the champion I'll have to tell you what I know so you won't get killed."

"You wouldn't enjoy getting rid of my annoyingness?"

"I think I'd miss you after a while," Ella replied with a laugh. Their banter was easy to pick up again, but she knew deep down she would more than just miss Fred if anything happened to him.

Everyone in Gryffindor Tower seemed to be buzzing with excitement, which usually would lead to people staying up all hours of the night, but Ella found herself and basically every other student heading to bed. The students may have been excited, but there was only twenty-four hours where the Cup would be on display and people would be attempting to pick a champion. No one wanted to miss seeing a champion put their name in the goblet and several others didn't want to miss putting their name in the goblet.

 _The Goblet sat on its perch; its blue flames flicking higher than Ella had seen that night. She circled the stand and watched the Goblet. It was back in the Great Hall, and if Ella knew anything about how her dreams worked, it was about to start spoiling the surprise of who the champions would be. Her eyes narrowed and with a wave of her hand the flames froze midair._

 _Dumbledore stood watching the Goblet of Fire seeming to be in the midst of a speech to the students. The only light in the hall was the blue flames. Ella could see her sitting next to Fred and Angelina on the Gryffindor bench. Her hand was resting on Angelina's shoulder in what looked like excitement. She quickly turned away from the scene feeling odd about watching her future-self._

" _Let's see what else we have tonight."_

 _With another wave of her hand, Ella transformed the dream into a completely new setting. None of the fear or uncertainty she had before seeped into her movements. She was in control and ready to explore the future one piece at a time. This time, she found herself on the Quidditch Pitch watching Fred, George and Harry lunge towards Malfoy. The blond boy's face quickly turned from his usual sneer to a look of terror._

 _As wonderful as Malfoy finally getting his own medicine was every time Ella witnessed this part of the future, she couldn't help but worry. What would cause the three of them to become so rattled that they'd actually attack Malfoy? He's said some terrible things in the past, but they've never fully lost it except for when he used the word "Mudblood." Yet, this felt completely different. She was concerned. Ella took a step forward, but decided against looking into it more. If it was something awful enough to send her friends over the edge, she did not need to face it herself just yet, not while she was in such a good mood._

 _She shifted the scene once more and inwardly groaned at the sight. She was standing on the hill watching the billow of smoke rise from a chimney far off in the distance. The now familiar sense of impending doom filled her bones and shook her to the core. This was one of the few dreams she couldn't rationalize. Every time she found herself in the unknown forest, a feeling of inexplicable dread so paralyzing it left her breathless filled her. Despite her newfound strength in controlling her visions, she couldn't get this one to reveal its purpose, its warning._

Her eyes opened to the glimmer of a barely rising sun. A faint burning smell seemed to be wafting into her dorm. She rolled over to see if it had woken Katie up, but her friend had simply stuffed her pillow over her face to block out anything unpleasant. Ella quickly got dressed and moved down to the Common Room to make sure a House Elf…or Hermione in protest…hadn't set it ablaze.

As she reached the Common Room there was the haze made by a potion being brewed. Ella recognized it as the Aging Potion. They'd just been learning about it that week, so it was no surprise to see Fred, George, and Lee gathered around her cauldron, whispering about the ingredients and directions her potions book listed out for them. She moved silently towards them, hoping not to interrupt anything. Ella wanted to see how they were doing with the potion, but she also just enjoyed watching how the three boys interacted. Lee read the ingredients to George who would hand them to Fred as Lee told them how to add them. Their assembly line of brewing was rather impressive.

Instead of moving to join them, Ella stopped at the chair next to fireplace and watched from a short distance. A small smile growing as she focused on Fred's concentrated expression. Despite thinking he was absolutely mad for wanting to trick his way into a deadly competition, she had to admit he was bold. It was moments like these that reminded her that he wasn't just funny or witty, but actually wicked smart as well. When he and George put their minds to something, they were geniuses. Ella could see it in nearly everything they did even if she wasn't actively trying to, but others seemed to be surprised by their brains. It was one of the things Ella loved most with Fred; he was intelligent, they could talk about anything, and they could keep up with each other when most people would be left behind.

"Do you want to help?"

Fred's eyes met hers and Ella felt a slight blush grow across her cheeks. She moved closer to look at the potion. Everything looked perfect. She figured it'd only take a drop of the potion for each of them to appear seventeen for the hour.

"Looks like it's just about done," Ella remarked as Fred crushed some leaves into it and began to stir.

"Just about, figured we'd take it back to our dorm to simmer just a bit. C'mon. Don't want people to start coming down here and asking questions," Lee said picking up the cauldron. Ella pulled out her wand and whispered an incantation she'd looked up to clear the air a bit. She decided to learn it after the last time Fred and George decided to set off a Dung bomb in the Common Room.

The potion didn't take much time to finish up. The boys were practically bouncing with excitement. Ella had only seen them this excited over Quidditch. Part of her wished she'd watched the Goblet of Fire in her dreams so she could know whether or not this worked. For the first time all year, she didn't feel as though she'd be upset if they got into the tournament.

"Still time to change your mind," Fred held a small vial in his hand. George and Lee also had theirs.

Ella smiled, "But then who would be there to cheer you on if I put my name in as well? Besides, I wouldn't want to steal your chance."

Fred laughed, "Just thought I'd make absolutely sure. Bottoms up, boys!" Fred winked at her before quickly taking the drop of the potion with the other two.

"Well, I feel older," George said. "Do you both?"

Lee nodded and Fred took a look at himself in the mirror. Ella couldn't see a difference, but it was only a few months after all. They probably wouldn't look much different in that span of time. Each of them quickly grabbed a quill and scrap of parchment to write their names and school on.

Soon Ella was racing behind the boys as they went to the Entrance Hall to insert their names. They dodged other students and slid around corners, laughing the entire way there. Ella raced to keep up with the boys, and the closer she got, the more she tried to race past them. Some portraits yelled at them to slow down, but the four Gryffindors could not be convinced to slow down. They were all caught up in a burst of excitement.

As they neared the Entrance Hall, Ella heard Harry say, "Bet some put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed. I've would've if it had been me…wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

Fred laughed beside her and they made their way to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The three students turned to see them come.

"Done it," Fred whispered to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."

"What?" Ron asked looking at his brother with confusion.

Fred rolled his eyes, "The Aging Potion, dung brains."

"One drop each," George added. "We only need to be a few months older."

Lee was beaming from ear to ear, "We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins."

Hermione frowned saying, "I'm not sure this is going to work, you know. I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

Lee and the twins ignored her, but Ella gave a small smile. She wanted to say, let them have their fun, yet it didn't seem right to say it in front of the boys. Hermione seemed to understand regardless.

"Ready?" Fred asked the two other boys practically shaking with excitement. "C'mon, then – I'll go first…"

Ella watched as a moment of uncertainty crossed his features. She held her breath as Fred walked up to the Age Line. He paused for a moment, rocking back and forth slightly as though he was unsure about what he wanted for the slightest moment. Ella bit her lip in anticipation. Without looking, she knew everyone would be watching him, but her eyes weren't taking the others in. They were focused purely on Fred.

Fred took a deep breath and stepped over the line. Ella felt a shift in energy, but George obviously hadn't. He jumped past the line to be with his twin. A sizzling sound rose around the room and suddenly both boys were being flung out of the Age Line. Ella watched as the two landed several feet away from the Goblet of Fire. Before Ella could move to see if they were alright, a large popping sound echoed throughout the hall. Fred and George both were given long, white beards.

The entire entrance hall, including Ella burst out laughing. The twins got to the feet and looked at each other's beards before roaring with laughter themselves. Ella was still laughing when she noticed Dumbledore enter the room behind the twins.

"I did warn you," he told them, though didn't sound upset in the slightest. He looked over their beards with a smile, "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though, I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

The twins left the hall still chuckling to themselves while Lee couldn't contain his laughter. Ella was about to follow them when Katie came peeling down the staircase. She glanced at the twins before bursting out laughing too, but instead of explaining they just laughed some more and headed to the Hospital Wing. Katie spotted Ella and headed over still giggling.

"What happened to them?"

"They tried to cross the line," Ella said looking back at the not-so-harmless Age Line. "It spit them out and gave them beards."

Katie started laughing again, "That's fantastic! Dumbledore really does think of everything, doesn't he? Well, it won't happen for the next Gryffindor who tries. I can guarantee that!"

"How can you guarantee that? Who else is submitting their name?"

"Angelina! Remember? She turned seventeen last week! I ran into her before coming down here. Alicia was going through the good and bad things that could happen from this. I suppose it was one last attempt to see if she really wanted to do it. I think she does though, she told me she decided last night."

The two girls turned to see Angelina and Alicia coming down the stairs, a piece of parchment was barely visible in Angelina's hand. Everyone currently in the entrance hall turned to watch the two newcomers wondering if they were submitting their names or watching others. Ella found it hard to take her eyes off Angelina. She looked every bit as confident as a Gryffindor was supposed to be as she strode up to the goblet. She didn't even stop at the Age Line. She didn't have any reason to be worried about it. Angelina rose the parchment up in the air before dropping it into the blue flames. A moment passed, and Angelina walked out of the Age Line.

Everyone in the hall erupted into cheers and applause. Katie and Ella being two of the loudest cheers among them. The two girls ran up to their friend who looked slightly embarrassed by all the attention and quickly hugged her. Then they headed to the Great Hall for food. The cheers following them all as they left.

"Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!" Angelina said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they got to the Gryffindor table.

Ron looked at her in awe, "You're kidding!"

"Are you seventeen then?" Harry asked.

Ron scoffed, "'Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?"

Angelina beamed, "I had my birthday last week!"

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor is entering," Hermione said beaming from ear to ear. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!" Katie, Ella, and Alicia all smiled at their friend and were shoving her arm or hugging her. They couldn't contain their excitement.

"Thanks, Hermione!"

Seamus Finnigan, a fourth year Gryffindor boy chimed in, "Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory." Several Hufflepuffs glared at the boy as they passed the table. Ella didn't see much of a problem with Cedric being the champion. Of course, she completely hoped it was Angelina, but Cedric saved her at the Quidditch World Cup, he wouldn't be a bad person to represent the school.

The girls moved off to grab something for breakfast before returning to the entrance hall to watch people submit their names. Ella was carrying a napkin with a pastry and a small goblet of pumpkin juice into the entrance hall when someone ran into her. The pumpkin juice spilled on her robes and the floor. The pastry crumbled.

"I'm so sorry! I was not looking where I was going. 'Ow careless of me." Ella looked up from the mess on the floor to see the girl Fred, George, and Lee had been enchanted by at the feast the night before.

"It's alright, I wasn't looking either," she said.

The Beauxbatons girl stood up and took out her wand, "I know a spell for zis. I can 'ave it cleaned very fast." She waved her wand over the floor and Ella's robes. The pumpkin juice quickly evaporated. The pastry also disappeared. "Zere, all better. I apologize again. Are you putting your name in ze Goblet?"

Ella shook her head, "I'm too young…. I'm Ella by the way." She held out her hand.

"Fleur Delacour," Fleur responded taking her hand. "I 'ope you enjoy the tournament. We Beauxbatons are 'appy to be 'ere." Then she was gone, following her classmates back to their carriage.

"Think she'll be the champion? She's captured every guy's attention here," Alicia said looking around the hall. It was true, all the boys were watching her as she left.

Katie laughed, "She has to be part-Veela. Maybe the Goblet of Fire isn't a boy though."

For the rest of the afternoon, Katie, Ella, Angelina, and Alicia stayed in the entrance hall with the other students watching the Goblet and working on their homework in a different space. Ella was excited that she was starting to get ahead in some of her assignments with the help of her friends. Every time someone submitted their name into the Goblet, the girls would stop and stare. Ella wasn't sure what the Goblet of Fire was looking for in its champion, but she still thought Angelina was the right choice.

They moved to the entrance hall before the feast began. Hogwarts had gone all out in an attempt to impress their guests. It looked more like Halloween in there than Ella had ever seen it. There were pumpkins carved and floating through the air that were bigger than she was as well as others sitting in every corner of the room. Ella spotted live bats flying through the air above them as well. She sat down beside Angelina with Alicia and Katie across from her. Soon enough, Lee arrived with Fred and George behind him. Fred took a seat beside Ella.

"I see you shaved," Ella said grinning.

He laughed, "What? You don't like beards?"

"I'll be right back!" Angelina said. Ella turned to her, but she was already rushing off. Ron, Hermione, and Harry came up and sat next to George.

"Hope it's Angelina," Fred told them as they sat down. George nodded beside them. Ella wondered if he had feelings for Angelina as well. She wondered if even Angelina still had feelings for him.

Hermione looked up at the front of the Great Hall, "So do I! Well, we'll soon know!"

The food appeared in front of them just as Angelina was sliding back into her seat. She looked at her friends then revealed a quill, bottle of ink, and scrap of parchment inside her robes. She smirked mischievously.

"We all know Krum is going to be the champion for Durmstrang, so if I'm the champion for Hogwarts, I'm getting his autograph."

Everyone started eat, but despite how amazing the feast was, no one could really focus on the food. Ella found herself turning to look at Dumbledore, and many of the other students were doing the same thing. Some even stood up to see if Dumbledore had finished his meal. Fred and George were both fidgeting beside her while Angelina seemed to be playing with her food more than eating it. For some reason, Ella suspected Dumbledore was eating slower on purpose to keep the anticipation rising more and more.

Finally, the plates cleared and Dumbledore stood up, "Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champion's names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," he gestured where he was describing. "Where they will be receiving their first instruction."

Angelina's breathing quickened and Ella put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Angelina smiled at her before turning back towards Dumbledore. Ella looked at her hand and her eyes widened. It was the exact scene she'd witnessed in her dreams the night before. She gently moved her hand off Angelina's shoulder, feeling slightly awkward. Meanwhile, Dumbledore was extinguishing every candle in the Great Hall. The Goblet was soon the only thing lit. It was much brighter than it had been in Ella's dream; she had trouble looking directly into the light.

"Any second," Lee whispered. Within moments the Goblet's flames turned red. Sparks were flying out of the brim and soon a spurt of flame sent a charred piece of parchment into the air. Dumbledore caught the paper and used the now blue-white flames to look at the name and school.

"The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum!" The entire hall erupted in applause.

Katie shrieked, "I knew it!" Many others also shouted similar things, but they all melted together in a general ring of commotion. Everyone watched Krum stand and move to the next chamber.

Karkaroff bellowed above all the noise, "Bravo, Viktor! Knew you had it in you!"

Slowly, the applause died off as the anticipation began to build once more. Everyone turned to the goblet wondering which person would become the next champion. Soon enough the flames had turned red once more and there were sparks shooting out.

Dumbledore caught the next piece of paper, "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

Ella's mouth dropped open as the veela-girl made her way to the front of the room. Her hair shimmered in the light. Ella turned to see the boys staring at her once again, but they seemed to be a little more in control of themselves than they had been the night before.

"Guess the goblet is a boy," Katie said rolling her eyes. She looked like she wanted to smack the back of Lee's head again, but she refrained. Ella glanced over at the Ravenclaw table to see the remaining Beauxbatons looking disappointed. A couple girls even began to sob into their hand. She thought that was slightly overkill for not being picked by a cup.

Suddenly, the excitement became palpable. Everyone was dead silent as the last champion was getting ready to be picked. The flames that had danced blue moments before were red again. Each set of students leaned in, hoping someone from their house would be picked. Ella's heart beat as though she were running a marathon. A flame shot the last parchment out of the goblet.

"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore shouted, "is Cedric Diggory!"

All of the Hufflepuffs cheered incredibly loud. Ella had never heard the group make so much noise or show off so much pride. They were all on their feet celebrating over Cedric being chosen. Diggory smiled widely as he made his way to the other champions. Ella clapped politely for him, only slightly disappointed it wasn't Angelina. Everyone was telling Angelina it was alright, but she was still applauding Diggory like the rest of the hall. She didn't seem completely torn up about not being selected as the champion.

"I'd take him over a Slytherin any day. At least he has some class." Angelina told Ella. The cheering went on much longer than it had for Fleur or Krum. The entire school seemed to be caught up in a frenzy of excitement, none more so than the Hufflepuffs.

Dumbledore smiled broadly once the applause died out, "Excellent! Well, now we have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering…"

Ella suddenly found herself losing Dumbledore's words and looking towards the Goblet of Fire. It had turned red once more, but that wasn't supposed to happen. No one else seemed to notice until Dumbledore had also stopped mid-speech to look at the magical cup. A boiling sense of fear rose up in Ella. She glanced down the table and she looked at Harry. He looked as confused as all the other students, but Ella felt something more there. She turned to see the goblet shoot another burned piece of paper out.

"No," she whispered.

Dumbledore held the sheet of paper for a long while. Everyone in the hall was silent. No one knew what was happening, but Ella could see it now. Not three champions – but four. A fourth champion who didn't submit his name. The first step in a plan that Ella wasn't aware of but didn't like at all. She could see everything and nothing about these developments at once. It made her uneasy. It terrified her.

" _Harry Potter_."

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 **A/N: How was that? Let me know what you think! Please Review! We didn't quiet make it last time, but if there's 10 reviews, I'll post early! :)**


	17. Chapter 17: The Four Champions

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter!**

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The Four Champions

Ella turned back to face Harry along with every other person in the Great Hall. He looked completely shocked and numb at the announcement. It was clear as day on his face that he didn't know his name was in. Anyone with half a brain could see that, but Ella wondered how many people would look past his terror-filled expression to believe Harry had wanted this all along. She looked back towards the head table to see McGonagall standing and whispering in Dumbledore's ear.

Something else caught her eye further down the table. Professor Moody had a triumphant look on his face, a smirk that made Ella's stomach twist. He suddenly looked her dead in the eye and Ella immediately turned back towards Harry.

"I didn't put my name in… You know I didn't." Harry said to Ron and Hermione who just stared at him with the same shocked expression Ella knew she wore. Soon, Ella became aware of several angry whispers rising throughout the hall. Ella turned to glare at some of the students. He was terrified, couldn't they see that?

Dumbledore cleared his throat, once more saying, "Harry Potter! Harry! Up here, if you please!"

Hermione gave Harry a slight nudge, "Go on." Harry stood and tripped over his robes. He walked up to the front of the room trying to be as calm as he could be. Many people were glaring at him and whispering as he passed. Ella wanted to stick up for him in some way, but she wasn't sure if that would make the situation better or just embarrass Harry even more. He made it up to Dumbledore who directed him through the same door as the other three champions.

As soon as he was gone the whispers grew into heated discussions about Harry and the fourth champion. She had never seen members of the Hufflepuff house look so upset and angry. They were furious that Harry was picked as well as Cedric. It would take some of the glory away from Cedric, they were certain. Ella could also hear the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students bristling over the twist. Hogwarts now had two champions, which certainly wasn't fair to either school. Ella wondered if they'd let Harry get out of the competition, maybe they'd have a redo.

"Would the Prefects and Head Boys and Girls please lead the students back to their Common Rooms." Dumbledore was already relighting the candles. Behind him Ludo Bagman and Crouch were heading towards the door with the champions. Ella stood trying to get a better view of the door. Dumbledore, McGonagall, the two other Headmasters, Snape, and Moody all filed through the door. Ella pushed towards their exit. She needed to talk to Dumbledore or even Snape. Someone who could help her figure out what was going on in her head. A Prefect from Hufflepuff grabbed her forearm.

"Where do you think you're going? Dumbledore said everyone had to go back to their Common Rooms," he sneered at her. Ella glared back and yanked her arm away.

"I need to speak with Dumbledore."

The Prefect laughed, "Why? To figure out if he's going to let your House compete too."

Ella's blood boiled, "Don't be a prat. If you think Harry Potter wanted to be in this tournament you're bloody mad. He looked terrified, or we're you too busy simmering in your own stupidity to see that!"

"You little–"

Fred quickly grabbed Ella's wrist and pulled her away from the Prefect before either did something they'd regret. He pulled her all the way to the entrance hall before finally letting go of her wrist. The rest of her friends as well as Ron and Hermione had followed them there and were beginning to make their way up the stairs.

"You really need to learn to pick better fights," Fred huffed crossing his arms.

Ella glared over her shoulder though she couldn't see the Prefect, "I could have taken him easily and you know it."

Fred rolled his eyes, "Obviously, but even George and I aren't dumb enough to take on a Prefect in a duel in front of the entire Great Hall."

"I can't believe he figured out how to get in!" Ron said, though instead of being in awe, he sounded furious. Ella's retort to Fred died immediately as she turned to the other people in their group.

Angelina on the other hand was thrilled, "It's bloody brilliant!"

Ella looked at her friends in shock, "It's terrible! How can you think he did this on his own? This clearly someone else's doing and not his own!"

They all looked at her in disbelief for a split second before continuing to babble excitedly about how he managed it. Ella's eyes darted frantically for someone who believed her, but they all seemed convinced that Harry would do this on his own. Not a single one of his friends seemed to think the terrified expression had to do with his surprise of being chosen like he wanted instead of fear of what he hadn't done. Her hands clenched into fists as she heard snippets of conversations around her. Every student seemed convinced that Harry Potter inserted his name into the Goblet for his own selfish glory. There wasn't a single person who seemed to agree with her that it was extremely out of character for Harry to do something like this.

"He must have performed some sort of jinx on it!"

"One that we don't already know being two years older? Not likely."

"Shut up!"

Everyone within earshot looked at Ella startled. The usually reserved girl was bristling with unabashed anger. She was absolutely sick of people not believing her when she told them what she knew was true with every fiber of her being. One look at those around her proved that she wouldn't be getting anywhere with convincing them.

"Who says they'll even allow him to compete?" Her teeth were clenched, but her message was still heard by nearly everyone in earshot. A new wave of conversation immerged from those surrounding them. What would Dumbledore and the others do? Harry's underage so they couldn't let him compete. But if the Goblet of Fire chose him, he had to, right?

Their group of Gryffindors arrived at the portrait hole to find the Fat Lady rocking back and forth excitedly, "Is it true? Did Harry Potter's name come out of the Goblet?"

Colin and Dennis were bounding back and forth, "It did!" Their squeal put Ella's nerves on edge. In the back of her head she was seeing dragons and the Lake and everything that could possibly go wrong. No one noticed her panic through their excitement.

"Violet is going to see if they'll let him compete. Bet they will. Gryffindor needs to show who really is the bravest of the lot."

Ella's stomach twisted at the thought.

Everyone poured into the Common Room shouting at each other. Most of the students were waiting for Violet to return with news of whether or not Harry could compete. Ella noticed Fred and George had disappeared. She assumed to get food from the kitchen. They were preparing for a celebration, whether or not they knew for certain there'd be one. Ella moved to sit in a chair in the far corner of the room.

Fred and George returned with their arms bulging with food. Ella would never understand how they managed to make a trip from the kitchens to Gryffindor Tower with so much food and not get caught. She watched the twins get swarmed by all the students trying to grab the treats from them. She half-heartedly wondered how anyone could be hungry after the feast they'd taken part in barely an hour before.

"They're letting him compete!" A wrinkled witch shout as she barreled into the Fat Lady's portrait. The roar from her classmates drowned out whatever conversation she and the Fat Lady were trying to have. The two painted women decided to move their conversation outside of the Common Room, but no one seemed to care. They had the information they needed for the celebrations to commence.

The commotion felt as though it could shake the castle's foundation. All the cheering and celebrating around her just made her want to curl up even more. Ron stormed out of the room and up towards the boy's dormitory. For a moment, she believed he was on her side, but the briefest glance at his expression showed that was the furthest thing from true. He was angry at Harry, which made Ella angry as well. Hermione also ended up leaving before anyone could question her about how Harry managed it.

Ella looked again towards the largest swell of students. George stood in the thick of it, fully embracing the celebratory mood. Fred stood beside him, but he was looking around the room, searching for something. Finally, their eyes met. He waved for her to head over towards him and the flock of happy students. Any other time, she would've gone immediately towards him. The excitement in his eyes was as infectious as ever. She shook her head and turned to watch the portrait hole open. She didn't see the flicker of disappointment race across Fred's face just as the excitement surged around him once more.

Dozens of students pulled Harry into the room. All of them were whooping and hollering at him. He looked confused, tired, and small. Ella knew it was degrading, but she didn't think he looked like a champion at the moment. He looked like a fourteen year old with the worst luck of everyone in the room.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" She heard Fred shout. He sounded slightly annoyed but mostly impressed.

George bellowed, "How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!"

"I didn't… I don't know how-"

Angelina was suddenly in front of him, "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor!"

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" Katie shrieked. Ella crossed her arms. She refused to be excited with the others.

People began to offer Harry food, but nobody seemed to listen to him. Once again, no one noticed what was actually happening to Harry. They kept shoving food in his hands and shoving their questions down his throat. It didn't matter how many times he uttered "I didn't" or any variations of the phrase. No one would listen to him. Ella wished she could help, but she didn't know how to manage it. She was sickened by her friends' behavior, or it was possible that she was sickened in general. Without her curse, it was hard to know.

Ella didn't know when it happened, but at some point, Lee had found a Gryffindor banner and wrapped it around Harry. She felt tired and she could see that Harry had just about had enough of this celebration.

Harry glared around the room, "I'm tired!" A couple people seemed to get the point, but Ella watched George try to give him another butterbeer. "No, seriously, George! I'm going to bed!" Ella leaped to her feet as Harry made his way towards his dormitory. He was just making it up the stairs and out of sight when Ella managed to shove past everyone else and stand of the stairs. She was the barrier between Harry and the rest of the Common Room. She pulled out her wand.

"He said he was tried, so I suggest you lot leave him alone and either go to bed yourselves or continue your party. If I find out anyone tried to bring him back downstairs, you'll squawk for the next month as you pick feathers out of places they should never grow." Some of the students glowered at her, but most of them were smart enough to know it wasn't a bluff.

Ella glared at a few of the stragglers who quickly made their way towards more butterbeer. No one seemed to care that Harry wasn't there anymore, and without Harry present, Ella didn't see a reason to be at the party any longer. Before Fred could call out to her, she was disappearing up to the Girl's dormitory. She quickly changed out of her robes and got ready for bed. She was closing her eyes just as she heard someone walk into the room.

"Ella?"

Katie's whisper seemed tentative. Ella could've answered her; she was still awake. Instead, she pretended to be asleep. She didn't want to talk to anyone who'd been celebrating downstairs. Soon enough, she heard Katie go back to the Common Room. Ella worked to even her breathing and fall asleep.

 _Dark clouds billowed around her and a cold breeze whipped her hair around. Ella walked forward into the dark portions of the clouds. Electricity crackled in the wisps around her and at her finger tips. She could feel the power growing with every step and the future whispering nearly inaudibly around her._

" _Tell me what I need to know."_

 _The wind picked up forcing the clouds around her to spin. She looked closely and saw the distant cottage with smoke coming out of it roof. Her eyes narrowed at the ambiguous picture in front of her._

" _Something more immediate!" She shouted into the void._

 _She watched as the Great Hall swirled in smoky pillars around her. Everything had a distinct shape, but it was all transparent. She could clearly tell she was dreaming. Ella was glad about that. She glanced around the hall, not noticing anything completely out of place. It was what she'd witnessed earlier in the evening, and what she had ignored in her dreams before. They were naming champions. Yet, Ella knew they had just called Harry's name by the shocked expression on everyone's face._

 _All around the room, everyone wore the same baffled expression. Then her eyes fell on the same person once again. Moody was smirking triumphantly. She hadn't been able to get a clear look in the Great Hall because he noticed her staring at him. In the dream, she was free to examine as much as she pleased. Ella moved towards the man with narrowed eyes. She had no idea what made him grin in that way._

 _Ella stood in front of him at the Head Table, "Why do you grin?"_

 _His head turned towards her, "Do you trust me? Do you really, Ella?" His eyes flared blood red._

Ella bolted upright to see the sun streaming through the window of their room. Everyone else was still asleep, but Ella's heart pounded.

She didn't trust him. Not one bit.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates! Classes and all. It's also a bit short, but I'm hoping the cliff hanger makes up for that! :) Hope you enjoyed!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Weighing of the Wands

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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The Weighing of the Wands

Ella rolled over to see Katie's bed was empty. Her dream had felt short, but it seemed it was longer than she originally thought. Katie wasn't really someone who liked to wake up early. She glanced around the room and blinked away the sunlight that shone through the gap in the curtains. Ella quickly dressed and headed down to the Common Room.

As she moved down the stairs, she could still hear the dream-Moody asking if she trusted him. The slow turn of his head towards her made her heart beat painfully in her chest. Ella didn't trust any of this. She knew Harry getting into the tournament wasn't a coincidence. The riot at the Quidditch World Cup also wasn't an accident. None of this was a rare occurrence, and Ella could practically see the invisible strings tying it all to Lord Voldemort. She glanced around the Common Room trying to see if anyone she knew was there. It was largely empty save for two or three first years she didn't really know. Ella didn't see a single friend and felt a wave of relief.

She crossed through the room and out the portrait hole. She had to warn Dumbledore what was going on and that Moody had something to do with it. Dumbledore had never doubted her before, and he must have known that Moody was acting odd. Ella couldn't allow anything to go on further this time. She'd sat by idly too many times in the past. She was determined to put a stop to this as soon as she could. She'd been so lost in thought, she hardly realized she was standing in front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office, without a password.

"Come on, you have to let me in." The gargoyle remained where it was instead of revealing the circular staircase. "This is important! I need to speak with the Headmaster!"

"What's important Miss. Worthington?"

Ella's blood ran cold. She refused to turn around until she could calm her heart. If she wanted to be an Auror, she would start now. No fear.

"Hello, Professor Moody. I needed to talk to Dumbledore about the incident last night."

His eyes narrowed, "What about last night?"

Ella stood her ground and smiled politely, "I think we both know professor. I'm sure the Headmaster is trying to discover what happened, and I would like to help. He's asked for my help on a number of things."

"The Headmaster is very busy at the moment. Why don't you come with me and talk it over? If it's important enough, I'll get you into his office. Otherwise, I'll tell him later myself," Moody grunted. Ella's lips pressed together in frustration. She didn't disobey professors and he knew that. Lockhart was the one exception to the rule, but that had been a very specific instance. She didn't want to go with him; she'd need to invent a new story for that.

Continuing to smile, Ella shook her head, "I'd rather go straight to the Headmaster, no need for a middleman."

"I insist, why don't you come to my office for a spot of tea," a gnarled hand grabbed around her elbow. Moody began to lead her through the castle towards his office. She quickly began to strategize how to get out of the situation or at least not show him she knew anything.

Escaping seemed to not be an option. The corridors all had students milling about, and Ella was afraid that slipping away would lead to someone getting hurt. The last thing she needed was to make Moody believe she was on to him. Some students looked at her with mild interest wondering what she'd done to get in trouble with a professor. Most didn't stare for too long; she was friends with the infamous Weasley twins after all, that was grounds for being a troublemaker herself. As they rounded another corridor, they came face to face with Ella's friends. They all gaped at Moody holding Ella.

"Ella…" Angelina said before the words died in her throat. The twins looked at her worriedly. She allowed a brief look of panic to cross her face before shifting back into a calm mask. Fred and George shared a glance both wondering if the other had seen it.

"Move along, you lot." Moody rasped. They all rushed past casting worried looks over their shoulders.

Moody ushered Ella into the classroom and up the stairs to his office. Ella had been there to talk with Lupin before, and she'd never felt afraid. Lupin had been a werewolf and she felt more frightened of the man she was with now than her previous professor. Granted, she'd only saw good things about Lupin, and Moody she dreamt the exact opposite.

Moody got out his wand and Ella's muscles tensed towards grabbing her own. She controlled herself enough to slowly reach for it in her pocket. With a few waves of his wand, Moody brought over a small table and two wooden chairs to go on either side of it. A teapot and two cups floated over and landed in front of the two chairs. Ella sat down cautiously, watching the tea pot fill the cup intended for her with tea she had no intention of drinking.

"How are classes going, Miss Worthington?"

The question caught her off guard but she recovered quickly, "Fine, I suppose. It's early enough in the year that I haven't gotten behind yet."

"It's your O.W.L. year though, things are certainly going to get harder, more time consuming. O.W.L.s typically leave little time for anything other than studying."

"Yes," she said unsure of where the conversation was headed, "I would assume as much from what others have told me."

"And what do you want to do after school?"

"Be an Auror," Ella didn't miss a beat with her answer and Moody grinned at her. Ella stomach flipped at the grin, it was probably meant to look friendly, but in actuality, it was anything but.

Moody growled, "You'll need the best of grades for that, but I can tell you have a natural talent. I have no doubt you'll excel in our dueling unit this week."

"Thank you, Professor."

He nodded more to himself than her, "Yes, you seem to be very powerful, I'm beginning to understand. Now, is it because of your aspirations to be an Auror that you felt the need to talk to Dumbledore, or your abilities to see the future?"

Ella's blood ran cold. She couldn't remember ever telling him about her abilities, she never talked with him outside of class. Dumbledore might have, but the glint in Moody's eye made her think differently.

"I just wanted to see if I could help. Harry's in my House and I like keeping an eye out on him because he tends to get into trouble a lot, if you haven't heard the stories," Ella lied smoothly. It helped that it wasn't entirely a lie.

"So you don't believe Mr. Potter put his name into the Goblet?"

"Not a bit," Ella responded icily.

Moody grinned at Ella's reply like it was exactly what he hoped for, "You're extremely bright for your age. It shows. I've heard nothing but praises from you. All your professors seem to think you're destined for greatness."

"Thank-"

"Who do you believe inserted his name into the Goblet?"

Ella looked straight into his normal eye and the electric blue one that held still for once, "Karkaroff." She didn't so much as flinch. She said it with as much conviction as she could muster.

The Professor stood from his chair and moved to the back of the room so Ella couldn't see his face, only his back. Her grip tightened around her wand, "Hmm, I can see why you'd think that. Karkaroff was a Death Eater back when the Dark Lord was in power."

 _A man was bound to a chair shaking. He looked younger, but seemed terrified. Ella could tell immediately that it was Karkaroff. She could only assume he was on trial._

"He was a coward though, but cowardice can breed some semblance of loyalty especially with someone powerful."

Moody form shifted in Ella's vision. The boy with sandy hair and a horridly twisted grin on his face. Someone who got glee from torturing his victims. Victims whose screams echoed in Ella's mind constantly. Ella's fists clenched at the image only she could see.

"Yes, Karkaroff would make sense to the average student," Moody went on. Ella stood up from her chair. "He'd be the perfect candidate at this school right now, the only Death Eater aside from Snape, but as the newest one, it makes a lot more sense. The Dark Lord would be a powerful enough entity to compel Karkaroff. But tell me Ella why are you lying to me?"

"And tell me, _Professor_ , why do you call him the Dark Lord?"

Moody let out a chuckle that didn't match his mannerisms at all, "Aren't you a clever girl."

Ella pulled out her wand, " _Stupify!_ " Moody, or the death eater, dodged it easily laughing.

"Oh c'mon, Ella, you must know how to do something non-verbal. With the amount of power the Dark Lord believes you possess, you must be able to do something more impressive than a simple jinx."

" _Aqua Eructo_ ," Ella hissed aiming the jet of water straight at the man. He dodged it quickly, and the next thing Ella knew, she crashed into the wall and all the air seemed to be knocked out of her.

She heard Moody somewhere in the room saying, "Or maybe you're just some over-glorified Seer without any power. Just a kid who can't keep herself or anyone else safe."

Ella was shaking with anger and shame. She was young, inexperienced, but she could feel her power bristling under the surface. For once, she didn't feel like shoving it away. This man wanted to hurt Harry, he probably wouldn't hesitate to hurt her friends, and now her was taunting her.

"…can't even catch a rat."

A foe glass shattered near Moody. Ella pushed herself back onto her feet still shaking, but the foe glass was no accident. Moody had ducked to avoid the shards of glass that showered over him. Ella flung her wand out, a spell flying towards him. He barely dodged it. Ella felt possessed by someone much older, someone who had abilities she hadn't learned yet. It felt empowering.

For several minutes, Ella had the upper hand in their duel, but despite whatever natural ability Ella possessed in her panic induced anger, Moody's imposter had more training and managed to disarm her. She didn't hear the words of his next curse but felt the effects as she slammed against the wall again, a horrible sensation crawling over her body for only a moment before disappearing.

"That was only a taste of my specialty," the man boasted.

Ella's eyes narrowed, "And they sent you to Azkaban for it, didn't they? Daddy didn't believe your pitiful begging. You're quite the actor, I'll give you that, Crouch."

Moody's eyes flashed, "So you do know? Pettigrew did something right then, it would seem. Of course, the Dark Lord knows, but a bit more confirmation never hurts. I've seen it in person, and I suppose you do have a bit more power than I gave you credit for…"

" _Thank you_. Really, thank you for your unending praise. Why don't you drop as dead as everyone believes you are," Ella spat with as much venom as she could muster. She figured if he took it too far, her friends could say something to Dumbledore. Someone would find out what Moody was, and he'd be stopped. Maybe, she could make it to the door even.

"You've got a lot of fight in you, haven't you? Impressive, but I don't react to petty goading." Ella leaped towards the door, her nerves still electrified from the curse. "No you don't." The door bolted itself shut and refused to move.

Ella pulled on the door more before feeling a spell crash into her back, sending her into the door. Her head hit the hard wood and everything began to go dark.

" _You're not quite as impressive as the Dark Lord believes, but you will be…"_

Ella wasn't sure how long she'd been wandering the campus grounds, but she knew she'd had a headache that just wouldn't go away for the entire time. The past few hours had been a blur. She made her way to the castle in a trance. Her head felt like it was filled with fog, but she was vaguely aware that she was hungry. Her headache had probably come from not eating. She didn't remember eating today, or even doing homework. Had she seen her friends today? She didn't think so.

"Ella!"

She turned quickly to see Fred and George rushing down the stairs towards her just before she could enter into the Great Hall. She smiled as they both hugged her. Katie and Lee were just behind the twins.

"Hello! What's the matter with you?"

Fred looked at her incredulously, "We've been searching for you for hours! We thought you'd come back to the Common Room after speaking with Moody, but you didn't. We went back to his office, but you weren't there. You seemed frightened when we saw you earlier. What happened?" By this point Fred had grabbed on to both of her shoulders and his eyes seemed to be filled with worry. Ella couldn't understand why he was so worked up. She remembered meeting with Moody in his office, but she wasn't frightened by any means.

"That? I'm not sure what you mean. Moody only wanted to talk about wanting to be an Auror. He wanted to give me a few pointers -he thinks I'd make a really good one," Ella explained. Fred didn't like the fogged over look in her eyes when she talked about it. It felt like she was lying, but she didn't sound like she was lying.

"Really? But Ella, you've always been nervous around him," Katie said inching closer to her friend.

"A simple misunderstanding, we've cleared all that up. I was being over-sensitive," Ella said once again. Katie locked eyes with Fred and he was relieved to see Katie didn't seem convinced either. "Let's go get some food, I'm starving. Then I need to go do some homework."

Ella walked into the Great Hall leaving all of her friends confused behind her. George pulled Fred back before he could follow after her. Fred looked at his twin concerned.

"Something feels wrong, George."

"I know."

"Do you think he told her she couldn't be an Auror?"

George shook his head, "That wouldn't make sense, she'd be a great Auror."

Fred sighed, "I know that, but something isn't right."

"What's the matter with you! I told you what happened!" Ella's cry came from the Great Hall. Fred rushed in to see Ella glaring at Katie, who looked even more concerned than before.

"Ella, I was just making sure, you had this look in your eye…you seem a little off," Katie tried to explain.

"I seem off? Well, I'm sorry if I seem off! This whole situation is off! I'm trying to deal with last night because no one else seems to realize what's wrong, but that's fine, right? No one needs to listen to me!"

Fred stepped in, "Ella, this isn't like you…"

She wheeled on him, "Isn't like me? What do you know about what is or isn't like me? You've been avoiding me too much this year to know anything!" Fred's eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back at her words. Ella inhaled sharply. "Fred…no, I didn't mean that. I…I don't know what that was. I'm sorry."

"Ella…" He reached out to her tentatively, but she back just out of his reach.

She grabbed a plate and put some food on it, "I should really just do my homework. I'm sorry for that outburst…It wasn't like me." Before any of her friends could stop her, Ella had left the Great Hall and disappeared up the stairs.

"What happened?" George asked Katie, recovering his wits before his brother.

"I asked her if she was sure that was all that happened, and she agreed but she seemed irritated by my asking. So I tried to press on a bit more, but I guess I took it a bit too far," Katie's eyes flashed back towards the staircase.

Lee shook his head, "I don't think you went too far; it was really unlike her. Ella doesn't typically lose her temper like that."

"O.W.L.s?" Katie suggested.

George shrugged, "It's possible, but she didn't seem to be like this until now, maybe last night at the earliest."

Fred let out a breathy chuckle, "Because we were being idiots last night. Can you even imagine being forced to see things like that, to know their outcome, and yet we all disregard her as if she were Trelawney? She must feel awful." His shoulders sagged. _She must feel awful_. He didn't want her to feel awful, he didn't want her to get angry or frustrated like that. Even though Ella insisted she didn't mean it, he knew she was upset by how little time he and George had been around her. It hurt him to know he hurt her, even if it was only something small.

"So do you think that's what the outburst was about? Because this still feels wrong," Lee looked at Fred, pleading for answers. Fred didn't know if he had any.

"Could be, but I know what you mean," they all watched him. He took a deep breath, "I think we need to let this go. Not forget it, but it's possible Ella is just under stress and this will pass. We should watch her though, just to make sure she's alright. Make sure nothing like this continues or gets worse. If she needs us to listen and be there or not be there, we should do what she wants."

The others nodded in agreement, but as they sat down at the Gryffindor table and began eating, Fred couldn't shake the worried feelings he had. If Ella was upset, that could be handled and fixed. He would do anything to help her out and so would the others, but if it was something else, something more… Fred wasn't sure what help he would be. Her dreams were far beyond what he could understand. Since the day they met, he'd had trouble understanding what she went through and how it all affected her. He sighed to himself before joining in the conversation.

Ella sat up in the Common Room for several hours, throwing herself into all the homework she knew she had. She didn't want to think about the day, how she yelled at her friends, anything. Her head throbbed and the longer she worked, the more her hands began to shake. This wasn't like her. She didn't act like that typically. Or did she? She'd lost her temper with Slytherins or some others multiple times, but she tried not to act that way towards people who didn't deserve it. Katie certainly hadn't deserved it. She was worried about Ella, and Ella knew she had a right to be. The whole day was a blur of things she only half remembered. She could remember it all, but it all felt hazy.

She slammed the book shut and rested her forehead on the cool table. She was at least a week ahead, but she wanted to push herself to do more. The fact she'd done this much in one weekend was remarkable, but Ella didn't want to go to bed. Her eyes burned, but she could practically feel her mind boiling with awful dreams.

"Are you okay?"

Ella glanced up at Katie before burying her head in her arms, "Yes…no…I don't know." Katie waited for Ella to elaborate. She forced herself to sit back up, "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

She smiled, "It's alright, tough year, right?"

"Right."

Katie brushed a strand of hair out of Ella's face, "You seem exhausted. How about we get you to bed so you don't drop dead during class tomorrow?" Ella couldn't find the strength to argue. She followed Katie to their dormitory and in the same hazy state the day had gone in, she suddenly found herself under the covers and closing her eyes.

 _It felt like she was floating. A happy sense of weightlessness in an otherwise dark room. She moved her hands out and felt a silky fabric billowing around the room. The contact with her fingers sent images of twirling around a dance floor to her mind. Her feet lightly grazed the floor and she let herself stand upright on the cool cement. She could see the fabric all around and felt like dancing around it._

 _Ella danced her way around the room avoiding the ribbons and bolts of fabric rippling like a shadowy pool around her. She hummed a little waltz, three-stepping around in circles. Her hand stretched out and she grabbed at a piece of silk._

 _Panic seized through her clutching desperately at her heart. There was a giant hedge, but a graveyard seemed to flicker as well. She was in two places at once, but couldn't figure out which place was more frightening. Why were people in the hedge? Who was screaming?_

" _What frightens you this much?"_

 _Ella dropped the fabric like it had stung her. She turned around, careful to not touch any of the fabric around her for fear that she'd be sucked into another terrible vision._

" _I thought I told you to leave and never come into my mind again."_

" _You were screaming; could you tell?" She remained silent. "In any case, you must want that vision to never come to pass. Allow me to help."_

" _The only thing I'd allow for you is a painful death. Get out."_

 _Red eyes flickered among the fabric, but unlike the last time they didn't disappear._

" _Seems you don't have the power you thought you had."_

" _But you still can't see anything."_

 _There was a brief pause, "That's hardly of consequence now. Soon enough, I will be, and you won't be able to stop me."_

" _Want to bet?"_

 _The red eyes appeared in front of her, and in her haste to jump away, she fell into a large bolt of fabric. She was on her knees in damp grass, two pairs of arms held her where she was. Ella looked up at the looming figure of Voldemort himself. He drew a wand and pointed it at her-_

Ella opened her eyes to find herself already sitting upright with her legs over the side of her bed. Her brown hair was plastered across the side of her face with sweat. She looked up at herself in the mirror that sat in the corner. Her blue eyes were blood shot and wide with fear. She trembled uncontrollably as she dug her nails into her mattress.

"Would the young miss like a calming potion from the Hospital Wing?"

Ella turned to the side to see tennis ball eyes looking up at her. "Dobby?"

"Miss!" He squeaked. "You were the miss who was in Harry Potter's bushes his second year!"

She quickly got out of bed, "Shhh, I'd rather not let people know that was me! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

Dobby grinned widely, "Oh yes, Miss. Dobby is just doing his work. Dobby works at Hogwarts now!"

"That's great, Dobby!" Ella smiled back at the House Elf. "If it isn't too much trouble for you, I think I would take a calming potion. Maybe two."

It only took Dobby a couple second to get to the Hospital Wing, grab the potions, and return them to Ella. He placed the two in her hands and squeaked out a farewell before disappearing once again. Ella glanced over her shoulder towards Katie's bed before pulling the top off one vial and quickly drinking the foul tasting potion. A wave of relaxation rushed throughout her body releasing the pent up tension she'd been feeling.

"Katie, it's time for class," Ella called over to her friend, pulling on her robes. She grinned as Katie let out an over-exaggerated groan.

" _Today's going to be a better day._ "

Ella was right, at least for the rest of that day. A lot of the school was buzzing still about the Goblet of Fire, but Ella's calming potion kept her nerves in check for most of the day. By the time it began wearing off, she was in the library studying and doing homework. At that point, it didn't really matter what anyone around her was discussing because she was so focused on her homework that nothing else mattered. No one really bothered her in the library, but she did see the Durmstrang boy with blond hair again. He noticed her as well and gave a small wave. Ella waved back before returning to her work. Her curiosity wasn't strong enough at the moment to distract her from her homework.

The next few days were a lot harder. Ella felt jumpy, much like she had when the curse was still on her. Her dreams were nearly uncontrollable. She woke up more tired that she'd been before going to sleep. Not to mention most of the people in the school seemed to be acting like prats towards Harry. Ella was unimpressed with the _Potter Stinks_ buttons. The Hufflepuff Prefect she nearly fought with in the Great Hall tried to hand her one with a sneer. Had Fred not been down the hall and noticed what was happening, Ella definitely would've been in detention for throwing it back at his head. Instead Fred pulled her away, exchanging a few choice words with the Prefect as he led her away.

"How many times do I have to talk about choosing your battles? And with the same guy? C'mon Ella, you don't want detention."

Ella refused to look at him, pretending to be annoyed instead, "You get plenty of detentions…"

"Yes, but I'm an idiot," Fred replied. "You actually care about your O.W.L.s and they're a bit more important for you. The last thing you want is to get detentions and get behind in your work."

"I suppose you've got a point."

He grinned widely, "Don't I always?"

She elbowed him unable to stop her own grin, "I wouldn't go that far, but whatever you want to believe."

Fred was about to respond when something else caught his attention. Harry was walking down the hallway, and Ella noticed a lot of people glaring at him or whispering to their friends while pointing at him, but that wasn't what made Fred stop. Ron was standing off to the side of the hallway with two other fourth years. As soon as he saw Harry, he turned away and refused to look at his friend. Harry glanced at Ron for a moment before turning away himself and heading down the corridor.

"That little prat," Ella muttered under her breath. She moved forward, but Fred grabbed her wrist.

"Ella, don't. It's a stupid little thing that they're going to get over soon enough. Stay out of it."

"Harry is having a difficult enough time as it is with half the school acting like he's the devil incarnate, the last thing he needs is Ron acting petty towards him. As Harry's best friend he should know better than this," Ella argued.

Fred frowned at his little brother, "I know that, and I'm sure he does too, but he's an idiot. It runs in the family. He looks at you like an older sister, Ella. If you scold him, he's going to either take it hard or not listen to you."

"Well, I look at him like a little brother," she pulled herself out of Fred's grip, "and I can't let my little brother act like a prat."

"Oi! Ron!" Ella called as she walked over. She could practically feel Fred shrink behind her. He could tease his brother, but not call him out. Ella felt the urge to roll her eyes.

Ron looked over and smiled slightly waving. One look at her expression made the smile falter and his hand shot up to scratch the back of his head. She looked annoyed with him, but there was no point in hiding her feelings.

"Ella…er…hello…"

"Hello, want to explain to me what that was?" Ella said, hands on her hips. She'd watched Mrs. Weasley enough to be able to understand how to still be intimidating to a boy who was now taller than her. Ron mumbled something Ella didn't quite catch, "What was that? I'm sorry, if you're going to act like that towards your friend, I want to hear a damn good excuse."

"He just wants attention," Ron muttered a little louder.

Ella gaped at him, "Are you thick? He hates it and you can see that. He's miserable and you're only making it worse. You're lucky I haven't sent an owl to your mother." One of the boys beside Ron snickered. Ella turned on him immediately, "And what place do you have in this? You're lucky I don't send an owl to your mother." An image flashed in her mind of a very stern looking woman, she smirked, "I think we both agree she wouldn't like that."

The boy averted his eyes quickly, and Ron stood up a little straighter, "I'll apologize when I feel like it. And I don't. Now if you excuse me, I have to get to Potions." Ron strode off and Ella huffed.

"That went…" Ella glared at Fred who'd just come up behind her. "Not as well as we could've hoped, but like I said, he'll realize he's being a git on his own time."

"I know, but it's just unfortunate for the both of them; they've been friends from the start."

Fred put his hand on her shoulder, "It's unfortunate, but we've got to let them understand, don't we? You, me, and George learned to get over our arguments on our own. It's something they've got to learn, and they'll be better for it."

Ella turned and quickly hugged Fred, "When did you get so smart?" He laughed as he returned the hug.

"I told you, I'm always right."

There was a rush of movement that caused Ella to turn. Hermione was running down the corridor covering her mouth with tears running down her face. Ella didn't think; she ran towards Hermione as quickly as she could. There were very few people milling about, most of them were in Ella's year, since they were on a free period.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ella asked pulling the panicking girl to a stop. Hermione didn't respond but moved her hands away from her face to show that her two front teeth were rapidly growing. Ella wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and steered her towards the Hospital Wing. She waited for Hermione outside, so she could get her teeth shrunk.

When Hermione came out, she was blushing slightly, "Thank you for that."

Ella nodded, "Who did that to you? I know that wasn't some accidental spell you did, you're too good for that."

She looked down at the ground, "Malfoy. He and Harry got into a fight, Malfoy's spell missed Harry and hit me instead. Snape did nothing about it. He told me he didn't see anything different when my teeth were growing like that."

"That git. Both of them." Ella's blood was boiling, and her head began to ache.

Hermione looked at her concerned, "Ella, it's alright, really. I mean, it's not, but it's nothing that Gryffindors aren't used to from Snape. Malfoy is Malfoy as well. Don't get so angry about it."

"Right," Ella said through clenched teeth. "Why don't you go to your Potions class. I'm on a free period currently, and I think I might just stay here for a bit."

Hermione glanced over her shoulder then back at Ella, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"If I'm not, Madam Pomfrey isn't far. Go on to class, I'll be fine." Hermione nodded and rushed off to the dungeons.

Ella watched her go before sliding down the wall and putting her head between her knees. She couldn't figure out why she was so angry. It was a flash of anger that blindsided her. She knew that Hermione had even been taken aback by how sudden she'd gotten upset. Ella took deep breaths trying to relax, but it was several minutes before she could get the feeling to die down inside. Her thoughts wandered to the second calming potion that was currently hidden under her pillow, but she quickly dispelled the idea. She couldn't let herself jump to a calming potion whenever she felt a little agitated. Granted, she felt more than a little agitated, but she could handle this. Within ten minutes, she was able to get up and head to the Common Room.

For most of the night, Ella threw herself into her homework in order to avoid any unexpected mood swings. Hermione seemed to be doing just fine, but Ron and Harry were still pretending the other didn't exist. She watched them out of the corner of her eye while working on her journal for Divinations.

"Fred tells me you told Ron off earlier," George slid into the seat beside Ella.

She rolled her eyes, "And I suppose he also told you that it did absolutely nothing?"

"He did, but even if he hadn't, that's fairly obvious." He gestured to the two boys who were doing homework on opposite sides of the room. She shook her head at the boys.

"They'll figure it out on their own time, at least I can say I tried to help them out, even if it does come down to them not being idiots."

"Speaking of trying to help idiots, I've been meaning to talk to you about something." Ella looked at George feeling a little concerned. George leaned forward a little like he was about to tell her a secret.

Ella leaned in as well, "Does this have to do with that thing you and Fred have been working on in secret?" It would make sense, but she wondered why Fred wasn't going to talk about it with them.

He shook his head, "Not quite, but it does have to do with Fred. Look, Ella, I know you like him."

"What! No, I don't. I mean, I do like him, but I also like you and Lee and Angelina. I don't like him any differently from the rest of you," Ella rambled in a panicked whisper. George merely smirked.

"I don't believe that for a second. You have feelings for him, and you can't lie to me about it alright? I have eyes, I can see it."

"Can Fred see it?"

"He's an idiot, so no. But I keep trying to convince him you like him. Not that he ever listens to me, but now I actually know you like him and can tell him as much," George said looking rather smug.

Ella, on the other hand, began to panic, "No! You can't tell him I like him. Promise me, George! If you're my friend you won't let him know. Things will get awkward between us, and I really don't want him to feel awkward around me."

"It won't be awkward; I can promise that."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, but not right now. George, something is wrong, but I don't know what it is. Let me figure this out a little more, or at the very least get it under control before you tell Fred."

George moved his chair closer to her, "What is it? What' wrong?"

"I'm not sure, I just have felt…off. I'm not in control like I have been the past month. The littlest things are setting me off, but I can't figure out why. My dreams are out of control, it's like I have my curse again, but I don't because even that was different."

"Curse?" Ella turned to look him in the eyes realizing that she'd never told him about her curse. He was looking at her completely concerned and confused.

Ella bit her lip, "It's not important anymore. I was worried about my dreams when I was younger, but Dumbledore was able to put a curse on me that helped me not talk about the future. It was medieval, but he only placed it on me because I wanted to have it. He wouldn't have put it on me if I said no, and like I said, it's no longer on me anyway. I asked him to take it off."

"You said you felt like you had the curse on still though, what did that feel like then?"

"I didn't have much control with the curse, it suppressed my abilities so they weren't as controllable. The future was also foggy and confusing with the curse…or more confusing that is. The future is never really clear cut. I feel like that again -dazed and everything feels hazy. I don't really understand it. But I know it's not my curse because if I told anyone about the future with it, I felt immense pain, but Trelawney and I discussed something I had in my journal earlier this week and I felt no pain."

George's eyebrows knit together, "You felt pain when telling people about the future? And Dumbledore allowed this? How could he! When did you even have this on you? I'm going to-" He jumped out of his seat.

"Do nothing about it because it's in the past!" Ella said pulling George back down. "Look, this is why I didn't tell you or Fred about it when I had it. I knew you'd be upset and try to talk to Dumbledore about it, but I wanted it. I asked him for it because I thought I needed it. Like I said, it's the past so there's no need to be worked up over this, and there's no need to tell Fred and get him worked up over it as well."

For a moment George looked conflicted before nodding, "Alright, but don't leave us in the dark, Ella. We want to know what's happening with you." He reached out and hugged her as Ella nodded, knowing that it'd be easier said than done.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for how long this took! But I've completed my hardest semester of college so far! Please Review and let me know what you think, a lot happened in this chapter, and a lot is going to continue to happen!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Hungarian Horntail

**A/N: I don't own anything, all this belongs to J.K. Rowling!**

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The Hungarian Horntail

The next few days seemed to flash by in a blur for Ella. Instead of improving for her, it more became a pattern she could expect each day. She was constantly fighting to keep her nerves in check, but it seemed she was able to hide that from her friends fairly easily. Ella constantly felt guilty since George had asked her to keep her friends up to date with whatever she was feeling, but Ella didn't want people to worry about her or fuss over her. She was already stressed with her work; she didn't need people breathing down her neck on top of that.

"You know, if you keep staring so hard at that book, it's going to burst into flames."

Ella looked up at the unfamiliar voice to find the blond Durmstrang boy, "Well if it'd just stick in my memory, I wouldn't have to light it on fire."

He let out a laugh, "Evan Reed."

Evan held out his hand and Ella took it, "Ella Worthington, pleased to meet you finally."

"Well, we're both rather elusive people," his accent was mostly British, but there was a touch of the same accent Karkaroff had. Ella's heart clenched slightly at the thought of Karkaroff, but she shook the feeling away quickly. Evan looked down at the book she was reading, "Studying for the N.E.W.T.s?"

"No, O.W.L.s, actually. I'm only studying for O.W.L.s," Ella said, not sure if that was the only reason Evan had come to talk to her.

He looked slightly disappointed, "Oh, right. I just thought you were a little older. Coming here makes me wonder what would've happened if I'd come here instead of Durmstrang. I didn't know if you'd be my classmate or not."

"Well, I may not have been your classmate, but you might have been in my House. If you came here for the tournament, you must be brave, which is a Gryffindor trait."

"So you're brave then?"

"Oh…I don't…well-"

"I bet you would've entered the tournament if you were the right age, even though that doesn't seem to really mean anything anymore. You probably could've beat half the Durmstrang boys that showed up, maybe even some of the girls. Maybe. I am biased on that," Evan said.

Ella looked at him curiously, "Why would you be biased about that?"

Evan laughed, "Have you seen how many girls actually were able to come? Karkaroff isn't too keen on believing a woman could be a champion, just the fact they were allowed to submit their name shows how good they are. Besides, my girlfriend is one of the most brilliant girls my age I've ever met."

" _So he's not flirting with me_ ," Ella thought with a mental sigh of relief.

"I actually wish she would've been chosen. We could use more girls in this tournament," Ella said. Evan beamed at her.

"That's what I thought too. She would've been brilliant, much more so than Krum. He's nice enough, but it's obvious Karkaroff favors him. Still, there must be something about him that's a champion in the making. The Goblet wouldn't have chosen him otherwise."

Evan looked like he was about to say more, but the library glared at them and shushed loudly. Many other students turned their own glares on them. Evan smirked and waved at the librarian to show he would stop. Ella felt a blush raising to her cheeks at all the attention and fought the urge to ignore Evan completely and turn back to her studies.

"Seems that our conversation is going to be cut short. I'll talk to you later, Ella Worthington, my first British friend," Evan grinned before disappearing into the shelves of books. Ella watched him go feeling completely confused by his interest in her. It put her on edge, but she couldn't let herself be distracted by it. She needed to study.

Evan left her alone for the next few days, but that didn't make anything easier. Ella's emotions were constantly at a boiling point, and her friends tap danced around them as carefully as they could. Ella also was working to keep everything in order and not snap at anyone who didn't deserve it. Ella blamed it on her work load. She wanted to keep ahead in her classes, and she was succeeding in that, but it didn't make anything easier on her. She still stressed constantly about keeping everything she could done ahead of time, and then tackling what couldn't be done early as soon as she could. One of the worst moments was when Rita Skeeter's article for the Daily Prophet was released.

"… _I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now… Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them…_ This is a load of rubbish! Absolute rubbish!" Ella fumed reading the article to the twins. They snickered.

"Come on, Ella. Lighten up! Of course the article is rubbish, that Skeeter woman writes melodramatic trash. She writes to get viewers, not give facts," George said looking over the article himself. "Look, it even says that Harry and Hermione are together, which we all know Harry is completely out of his league with women currently, and Hermione does not like Harry."

"Even more than that," Fred said snatching the paper from his brother, "it doesn't even mention Cedric, though who could blame them." He noticed George's smirk at his jealousy and quickly continued, "Even the other champions weren't mentioned until the end. The only people taking this seriously are gits."

Ella glanced over at the Slytherin table, "A lot of people seem to be gits, in that case."

Fred and George glanced over there as well. It was no secret that they'd been quoting the article at every possible moment they could. They even were teasing Hermione for it, but she handled it a lot better than Harry. He read through the article and had stormed off. Ella, witnessing his reaction, refused to read it for as long as possible. The Slytherin's quotes made it clear just how awful it was, but after listening to Cho discuss Harry snapping at her in Divinations, she and the twins finally decided to read it.

"Ignore them." Fred warned.

Draco decided then was a good time to shout towards Harry, "Since when have you been one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?"

Neville's ears turned scarlet and Harry stormed out of the room towards whatever class was next for him. Ella decided enough was enough. As discreetly as she could, Ella grabbed her wand and whispered a spell towards the Slytherin table. A loud _Pop!_ resounded through the hall as the nearest pot of mashed potatoes exploded on Malfoy and at least twelve of the nearest Slytherins.

The entire hall erupted in laughter. Fred turned to Ella to see her wand still clutched tightly in a fist. She met his eyes and smirked slightly. He couldn't find it in himself to be angry with her, it was something he or George would do after all. Fred pulled his own wand out of his robes and discreetly waved towards the opposite end of the Slytherin table where another food container suddenly spewed itself on the students. Ella could feel the previous anger dissipate as she laughed at the stunned expressions of the Slytherins' faces.

"So, are we over the nastiness of this article?" George said.

Ella shrugged, "I suppose so. I still don't agree with this Skeeter woman. First she writes terrible things about your father at the Ministry and now Harry in the tournament. She's….she's…"

An image flashed in Ella's mind.

"A bug."

Fred gave her an incredulous look, "A bug?"

"Yes," Ella said, a grin spreading across her face. "But not just any bug. A beetle! A gross beetle that crawls around and snatches the smallest fragments of a story-"

"Then rolls them into a mound of dung to share with the rest of us!" Fred finished for Ella beaming at her.

She clapped her hands, "Exactly! Couldn't have put it better myself!" George smiled at the two of them. He'd kept Ella's promise to not tell Fred about her feelings just as he kept Fred's promise not to tell Ella. It was becoming almost painful for him to watch moments like this where they were so close to being a couple, yet still not there. He wanted to break his promises to them, but he didn't want to lose his twin or his best friend's trust. Besides, it would be better in the long run if they discovered it for themselves instead of being told by George. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Defense Against the Dark Arts seemed a lot easier now, and Ella enjoyed the praise Moody gave her. She found herself trying harder in that class than the others and she could feel it paying off. Ella wasn't sure why she'd felt apprehension before, and as time passed, she began to doubt feeling it in the first place. They'd started learning about dueling now. Ella felt completely ready to begin dueling, she could already feel in her blood that she'd be good at it. Moody seemed to believe it too and it made her extremely pleased with herself to know that an ex-Auror thought she was going to excel in something an Auror should be good at.

"Get up and move towards the walls," Moody growled one afternoon. The Gryffindors and Slytherins hastily grabbed their things and moved out of the way as Moody sent their tables and chairs whizzing across the room. Ella, Katie, and Cormac shared a look before turning their attention back to Moody.

"Wands out, and get in the pairs I assign you to," he barked pulling a list out of his pocket. The next thing Ella knew, she had been paired against a burly Slytherin boy who was glaring at her. She rolled her eyes and looked over at Katie and Cormac who'd also been paired with Slytherins. It seemed that each person in the class had been paired against someone from the opposite House. There was no way that was a coincidence, but Ella already had a guess about what they were doing.

Moody looked around the room from his spot in the front, "Now that you've all gotten into pairs, we can get down to the rules. You are paired with your first dueling partner. You've all learned the protocol and spells you can use, now the only thing I can think of to prepare you further is to practice. The only rule is that no one should hurt another student. Disarming only. What is the spell to disarm?"

Katie raised her hand quickly, "Expelliarmus!"

"Very good Miss Bell. That is the spell each of you will be using to beat your opponent. Once you've got their wand, then you get to move on to the next duel. We should make it through only the first group today, but this unit is meant to last a while. While we're working on this in class, your homework will be to read through defensive and offensive jinxes in your book and prefect them outside of class to ensure a winner. If you needed more of a reason to win, the person who wins in this class will be up for advanced help from myself. The winner of the other class will have this chance as well; I will decide which student is more deserving."

Ella, McLaggen, and Katie locked eyes and both could easily see that the other wanted the lessons. Advanced help could do loads to help their O.W.L.s, but it would also make them the envy of the school. Everyone was equally impressed and frightened by the ex-Auror. Ella glanced at the Slytherin and began strategizing the best spells to use for someone like him. She'd have to use her speed to her advantage, but Ella didn't want to het cocky.

The first pair Moody called up seemed to be evenly matched, and Ella found herself getting nervous. There was no guarantee that she'd be good at dueling, no matter how much Moody seemed to believe otherwise. She had never done it before. Though a small voice in her head said she had, Ella dispelled the thought and the small wave of sickness that accompanied it. The Slytherin in the pair finally managed to get the wand from their opponent. The class applauded, but the Gryffindors only did it to be polite. Moody quickly moved forward to growl at both the students about ways they needed to improve so they wouldn't be killed outside of Hogwarts. Ella could already hear him saying Constant Vigilance before it ever left his mouth.

She was still focused on internalizing the improvements her classmates received when she felt someone nudge her back. Ella turned to look at Katie who gave her a pointed look. Before she could ask why Katie had done that, she realized that the rest of the class was looking at her and the boy she'd been paired against had already moved into the dueling space.

"Oh," Ella breathed out quickly moving to face the boy. She took a shaky breath hoping to calm her nerves. It didn't work.

The boy sneered at her before bowing. Ella followed his lead and the two of them moved upright once more. Her eyes narrowed at the cocky grin that remained on his face. She hated the look of superiority.

" _Impedimenta!_ " Ella shouted a flash of light blossoming from her wand. Ella's original assessment had been right; the boy didn't move very quickly. Her spell hit him square in the chest. The Slytherin boys face showed his anger as every movement he had slowed. His arm was still moving downwards to cast a spell but Ella wasn't prepared to give him a chance.

" _Expelliarmus!"_ The wand sprang from his hand and into Ella's, ending the match before he could even cast a single spell. The surprised look spread across his face comically slow.

Moody was in front of them in an instant casting a counter-jinx to bring the Slytherin back to an average speed. He glared daggers at her, but she was just glad it was over. She hated the class watching this, and how silent they were. No one even applauded the duel, if it could even be considered that. Should she have let him cast some sort of spell before disarming him? That was ridiculous; the aim of the exercise was to beat the other in a duel. It wasn't her fault that she knew how to read an opponent. She was good at this; she didn't get to succeed in front of others often. She couldn't even play Quidditch because she'd seen the teams before and didn't want to ruin anything for someone else. For once, she deserved to be better than the rest of them. To rule over the rest of them.

"Ella, good stance. Keep elbows in tighter and allow the wand to be an extension of your arm instead of an added thing. Trust it'll be there and let the curses go, you'll be better off," Moody grunted. Her previous thoughts dissipating immediately. He then turned to the Slytherin, "You, on the other hand, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" The bellow made most of the class flinch, including Ella and the boy. Moody then proceeded to explain everything the boy needed to fix, which focused a lot on his demeanor. The cockiness did not go unnoticed by Moody who seemed to be extremely displeased with it.

As silently as she could, Ella moved back into the crowd of students to avoid Moody. She still wanted his approval, but his anger made her stomach clench and left a bitter taste in her mouth. It frightened her more than she'd care to admit. Though, with all of her emotions being so heightened lately, it made sense that even a hint of fear would be exaggerated. Moody turned his gaze towards the crowd of other fifth years and his eyes fell on Ella. She only barely managed to suppress a shudder before he was calling the next pair to duel.

"Good job," Katie whispered in her ear. Ella nodded stiffly to show she'd heard her.

Cormac whispered on her other side, "Yes, way to go Worthington, raise the bar for the rest of us why don't you?"

She cast a half-hearted glare over her shoulder to see his cocky smirk, "Keep grinning like that, and you're the next one to get lectured." The expression dropped off his face like he'd been burnt. Katie snickered but quickly covered her mouth to disguise it as a sneeze.

The next group up was Cormac and his partner. Despite their earlier remarks about being lectured for cockiness, Cormac actually seemed very apt in dueling. Ella glanced at Katie who shared the same shocked expression. Next to Ella, he'd managed to disarm his opponent the quickest. That meant so far, two Slytherins were continuing and two Gryffindors. Ella could feel a thrill of competitiveness rush through the class. There were sixteen students total, eight Slytherins and eight Gryfindors, and each House wanted their group to have the majority of winners. Ella vaguely wondered what the other class would do since the Ravenclaws outnumbered the Hufflepuffs, but she figured Moody would know how to step things up. She just felt pleased that their class worked out so well.

Katie was the last duel of their double Defense Against the Dark Arts period. After the other two duels, it was up to this one to see whether the Slytherins would have more people or the Gryffindors would make it equal. Ella bit her lip watching her friend bow to the Slytherin. The energy around the room was as tense as a Quidditch match. It didn't help that there was no Quidditch this year. Ella figured there would've already been a match at this point of the year. They needed something to blow off their steam with, and the First Task wasn't until Tuesday so this would have to do.

Ella had to admit it was a very close match, and both of them seemed to be trying their hardest to not get their wand taken away by the other. Several different jars across the room had shattered from dodged curses, and the group of watchers had ducked a few times themselves. McLaggen looked down at his watch then showed it to Ella. There were two minutes left in class. Ella wondered what Moody would do if they didn't have a winner by then.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Katie screamed. The Slytherin girl stamped her foot as Katie lifted her opponent's wand above her head in triumph. The Gryffindors all cheered like she was holding a Snitch. Katie tossed the wand back to the bristling girl and Ella ran over to give Katie a hug.

Moody looked them all over, "We'll keep this up next class until we've finished. Those who've lost need to write an essay about how to improve so you aren't murdered. The rest of you search for the jinxes you'll need to win. Dismissed."

"He's bloody mad, but I kind of want the lessons," McLaggen told Katie and Ella as they left the room. Ella nodded vigorously.

Katie frowned, "I don't know. I mean, of course I do, but I can't really imagine spending time alone in a room with him. I'd be terrified, I think."

"I spent time alone with him, and I'm perfectly fine," Ella said moving ahead of the trio. Cormac didn't miss the concerned look that flashed across Katie's face.

"You met with him? When? Why?"

"He wanted to talk to me about being an Auror. It wasn't a big deal," Ella responded. Katie elbowed Cormac who just looked at her confused.

He turned away from Katie, "Well, why didn't you tell me? And what did he say about you being an Auror? Good things, I bet, you kicked arse in there. But c'mon, details, Ella, I want to know who's going to be protecting us from the dark forces of evil one day." A confused look spread across Ella's face and her eyes got a distant look in them. McLaggen looked at Katie who looked completely concerned at this point.

"Why are you asking me so many questions, McLaggen? What happened in that room is between me and Professor Moody, no one else. So mind your own business for once," Ella snapped slinging her bag onto her shoulder and moving in the direction of the library as quickly as she could.

McLaggen turned to Katie completely speechless. He just looked at her then gestured in the direction Ella went before huffing out in disbelief. Katie rolled her eyes, but still tried to watch Ella as she disappeared in the crowd of people. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

"I don't know what to do. She's been snapping at everyone especially whenever we mention Moody and her meeting. She was my first friend at Hogwarts and I want to be there for her, but I can't figure out how to be. I'm worried about her; you must have noticed too," Katie said looking at McLaggen through her hands.

"Oh, definitely. I knew there was something wrong, which is why I was testing her," he stated confidently.

Katie rolled her eyes, "Liar. For her being your "friend" you don't see much, and even more so for wanting to date her."

Cormac tripped over his own feet, "Excuse you! I do not want to date her. I could get a veela to like me, why would I want to lower my standards to her? That's…that's preposterous."

"And that's a big word for you," Katie smirked elbowing him in the side. "Relax, I'm not going to tell her or anything, but I don't think it's a good match to be honest. You're a little too full of yourself to be with someone as humble as Ella."

"Oh…right."

She sighed feeling guilty for being harsh, "That's not to say you haven't improved in some ways… Even if it's only in how you act towards her." Cormac's typical cocky grin came back to his face. Katie figured she'd regret her compliment later. She left him before entering the Great Hall to have dinner with her other friends because McLaggen definitely wasn't her friend, or he hadn't proved he could be to her just yet.

Ella found herself in the library at her usual table with all her books scattered around and half of a Potions essay written. She definitely didn't remember getting there or writing the essay, but a quick glance over it showed that it was still in line with her usual standards. She tried to remember how she got to the library or how long she'd been there. The last thing that came to mind was Katie winning her duel and Moody assigning their homework. After that, Ella couldn't recall to save her life.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Ella grinned, "I like to keep busy."

"Oh, I know, O.W.L. year and all, not that Durmstrang has O.W.L.s, but I remember my mum saying something about how awful they were. She had to go to the Hospital Wing for Calming Draughts," Evan whispered taking the seat across from her.

"I can't say I blame her; by the end of the year I may be doing that myself," she looked at her Potions textbook and wrote a few more lines down of her essay, it was nearly the right length. Ella looked back up to see Evan just staring at her. "Can I help you?"

Evan's eyes widened and he got flustered, "Right, I'm probably annoying you and coming off extremely creepy. Sorry, like I said before, you're my first British friend. The first friend I can really keep up with, you know?"

Ella shuffled a few pieces of parchment, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

He sighed, "Look, my dad works for the Ministry, but he's in Bulgaria as a…well…a…"

"Diplomat?"

"Yes! He's there to help out; we moved when I was eleven. I had to learn a new language and everything. My dad's fluent, my mum is less so, and I would like to consider myself mostly fluent, but my parents still speak English around the house. So I always feel a little slower around the others from Durmstrang, not saying I don't have friends, I'm actually rather popular, I just…like having someone to speak to in my native language," Evan smiled sheepishly.

"That makes sense, but why me?" Ella asked.

Evan paused, "I'm not really sure to be honest, but it just felt right. You noticed me that first day, and I just thought, I have to be her friend. Why did you notice me?"

Now Ella got flustered, "You were the only one from Durmstrang with blond hair and blue eyes. It just stood out to me."

Evan nodded, "It's one of the reasons my girlfriend likes me so much. She says I'm exotic, or I hope that's what she's saying at least. Some pet names she has are beyond my language skills. I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"A little, but that's alright, you seem to like her a lot," Ella remarked toying with the feathered part of her quill.

He beamed, "She's wonderful. My first Bulgarian friend. She helped me a lot with the language, even picked up on a few English phrases that she tries to use if I'm feeling down. What about you though? Anyone in your life?"

For a moment Ella was going to sputter her way through a lame lie, but this wasn't someone from Hogwarts, there'd be no harm in it, "I sort of do."

"Sort of?"

"He's my best friend, he's absolutely amazing, and I adore spending every moment I can with him. I've wanted to be with him since my second year here, maybe even sooner."

"So…what's stopping you? Go for it! That's a long time to like a boy," Evan said hitting the table in excitement. Several students turned to glare at them. Ella gave them a shy smile and wave to show she'd try to keep Evan more quiet.

Ella turned back to Evan, "It's not that simple, I've liked him for this long, but he obviously doesn't feel the same way. Otherwise he would've asked me out. He's outgoing and bold, not the kind to let a girl pass him by."

"Has he ever had a girlfriend?"

"Well, no, he hasn't."

"Then I think he's waiting for the right girl, which if I'm right, is probably you. Can't you think of anything that would show he's interested?" Evan asked.

She thought back to the last several years. There were many moments where she thought something was going to happen, but it never did. It was almost like he was as scared as she was. That didn't make sense though, Fred Weasley and scared didn't belong together. Ella had always admired his easygoing, no-fear nature.

"There's one moment I distinctly remember. It was just before Christmas break last year, and we were walking back from a trip to the wizarding village just outside of the grounds. It had started snowing and we both stopped, I don't remember why, but he looked at me like I was the only one in the world. I thought he was going to kiss me, but he didn't. The moment ended and we went back to the castle like nothing happened."

Evan nodded pensively, "I've never met this boy, but I think he might just want to be with you as much as you want to be with him." Ella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't know if she believed it, but she wanted to for just a moment longer. If she could just think that Fred Weasley wanted to be her boyfriend, it would make things easier for a little bit.

"I need to get going, I have an advanced Potions lesson this evening. I still have to eat," Ella began gathering her things and said one last goodbye to Evan who remained at the table.

"Goodbye, Ella, and good luck with your Prince Charming!"

Ella fought the blush on her cheeks as she made her way down to the Great Hall to grab something to eat before heading to the Dungeons. As it turned out, she would've been better off if she had skipped her Occlumency lesson. Snape was as much of a git as always, but Ella's unruly emotions made everything twice as hard. His taunts pushed Ella into frustration, and she was barely able to keep the images of the future from reaching Snape. She snapped at him several times, and ended up with a detention before she left the dungeons after using several choice words she couldn't remember later. By the time she reached the Common Room, Ella felt exhausted, but she knew she was in for more nightmares instead of blissful sleep. Ella could already feel the tidal wave of distorted images heading her way. They flicked behind her eyes before she'd had a chance to close them.

" _Ella…Ella."_

 _The breathy whisper sent chills down her spine. It wasn't enough that the visions around her weren't controllable, but Voldemort's presence made everything even more exhausting. With him lurking around, she had to keep barriers up and fight for nothing to slip from her mind to his. It was like being part of a tango on the edge of the roof, one wrong move and she'd go toppling off._

 _Currently, Ella was watching a Muggle family beg for their lives in front of Death Eaters. Like so many of her visions now, she couldn't tell whether it was from the past or the future. She could only watch helplessly and hope that it had already happened or never would. Some of these visions would flicker and fade like it was a television with a bad antenna, but other times the vision would be so strong, so real she believed it was happening at that very moment. Those were the most frightening. They had this peculiar feeling of solidity that Ella couldn't shake. It felt that she could try anything she liked and nothing would ever change about that particular vision. It was doomed to come true._

" _Why do you hide from me, Ella? I can sense you there, just out of reach," Voldemort taunted. Ella didn't feel like responding to his goading at that moment. She was too busy fighting with the onslaught of images that she knew wanted to show themselves at the same time. If one slipped, they all would and Ella would be sick for that entire day of classes. Not fun any day, but particularly unpleasant on a Friday before a Hogsmeade visit._

" _What do you see of me in your future? Power? An ally for you?"_

 _Ella saw his glowing red eyes staring at her with delighted intrigue. She could see his boney fingers wrapped around a wand as nails dug into her shoulder. Ella saw nothing that she wanted to between them in the future. She blocked it out not wanting to know if she was already having visions of her own death. That'd be too morbid at fifteen. It was almost the last thing she wanted to see. She'd rather have herself there than any of her friends. The thought flash of Harry being near Voldemort._

" _Stay away!"_

"You're the one that came near me. No need for that kind of an attitude."

She looked up at the portrait of the Fat Lady before glancing at the silent Common Room around her. The fire was dying in the fire place and the moon was just beginning to sink in the sky out the tower window. Ella's hands shook and she sat heavily in the chair next to the dying fire. She couldn't stop shaking and didn't know whether it was from the dream, Voldemort, or this new sleeping walking habit she was starting to pick up, but Ella felt utterly helpless in the face of it all. So she did the one thing she hadn't done in a while. She cried in front of the fireplace, curled up in a chair, until she eventually fell back into a fitful sleep.

The next day was absolute hell for Ella. Her head was pounding, she jumped at the smallest noises, and every muscle seemed to ache from the way she'd fallen asleep on the chair. The only good thing that seemed to happen was that when she woke back up, she hadn't done anymore sleep walking and she woke up before any of her friends could see she hadn't been in the Dormitory. The day ended with the Potions lesson from hell. Ella was glad she'd finished her essay for the class because Snape was in an exceptionally foul mood, particularly towards her. She held her tongue and tried not to think about her detention the upcoming Monday.

"You look dead on your feet; are you sleeping alright?"

Ella sighed as she pushed her food around the plate, "Not really, but it's nothing new."

Ginny snorted, "That's an understatement, but at least there's Hogsmeade to look forward to, right?"

"Right! It's your first time going there! We need to go visit Honeydukes together, and get you a Butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks. There's so much I want to show you!"

"Do I hear a girl's day in the making?" Angelina said taking the open seat beside Ella.

Alicia giggled, "I think I do. What do you think, Ginny?"

"I think it sounds brilliant."

"What sounds brilliant?" George said as he, Fred, and Lee took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

"Nothing that pertains to you," Angelina grinned mischievously.

Fred huffed, "Well then, maybe we don't even care what it is."

Lee looked between the twins, "For the record, I do care and wouldn't mind knowing about it."

"Girl's day at Hogsmeade," Ella said. "Sorry boys, but I guess you'll just have to get by without us."

George smirked, "Two can play at this game. Oi, Ron!" Ron turned from down the table to look at his brother. "Want to go to Hogsmeade with Lee, Fred, and I?"

Ron looked suspicious of his brothers, "I suppose I could."

"Excellent," Fred replied. Then turning to the girls he said, "Consider it a boy's day."

"A boy's day? Hogsmeade is going to implode at the sound of that," Angelina said as she put some food on her plate.

"Or at the very least ban all Hogwarts students from ever going back," Ella suggested.

The boys acted wounded by Angelina and Ella's words. Fred draping his arm across his face and leaned into her dramatically as George wiped at his eyes with a spare napkin from the table.

"How could you insinuate we are anything but perfect angels? We are the beam of hope to lost souls-"

"The gentle breeze in springtime-"

"The light at the end of the tunnel-"

"Particularly full of it, if you ask me."

Fred glared at Ella from underneath his arm. She just smirked at him before noticing something across the hall. Evan was sitting next to a very pretty girl in the same blood red robes looking at her very pointedly. She gave a shy smile before looking back at Fred as if to say, "this is that idiot I've fallen for." His smile showed that he'd already guessed it. Ella wondered if the pretty girl beside him was his girlfriend. She assumed it was.

Ginny was waiting for Ella and Katie the next morning. Many students were happily milling about the Common Room getting ready to spend the day in Hogsmeade. They only had to wait a moment or two for Angelina and Alicia to join them before making their way down to the Great Hall. Ella felt better than the day before since she hadn't dreamt of Voldemort that night. The visions had still been there, but even a small reprieve was enough to make her feel better.

Ella had to admit that the girl's day was something she had desperately needed. No boys to worry about or a crush to skirt around. Just her closest girl friends laughing and being silly as they went in and out of shops. Katie and Ella bought a bag of sweets to split between the two of them while Ginny and Ella found some prank supplies from Zonko's to use on Fred and George if they so felt.

Finally, the girls found themselves in the over-crowded Three Broomsticks each with a glass of butterbeer to warm them up. She could see Fred, George, Lee, and Ron sitting across the pub, and it made her happy to see that they all looked like they were having just as good of a time. Hermione was also in the pub, but she was sitting by herself, which Ella found weird, but it was possible Harry was the using the bathroom or something.

"Can you believe the first task is on Tuesday?" Angelina asked after taking another sip of butterbeer. Thinking about the task made Ella's heart pound. She took another sip of butterbeer instead of answering.

"It's all the third years will talk about. Everyone just seems really excited for it," Ginny said.

Angelina set down her drink, "I'm actually relieved it wasn't me right now. I can't imagine not knowing what I'm up against and just being a sitting duck until Tuesday. It sounds terrifying, but I suppose as a Gryffindor, I would've been expected to keep my cool and not be scared."

"Well, being brave doesn't mean you're never afraid. It means you can fight through your fears to do what's right." They all looked at Ella in surprise. "What? I'm being honest. I'm scared of a lot of things, but I still face them as much as I can. That's how they're showing their bravery."

"That was profound," Alicia finally said.

Ginny elbowed Ella in the side, "She's always saying things like that. You should try living with her."

Angelina and Katie both froze at that, Alicia tentatively asking, "What do you mean living with her?"

Ella felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, "I may have started living with the Weasleys this summer." The other girls knew her parents weren't most warm-hearted, but Ella never really mentioned them. It was easy to forget that she had a family outside of Hogwarts with how little they were brought up.

"What happened?" Katie asked gently reaching out for Ella's hand.

"It was nothing. They just decided to move away and I couldn't go with them. They told me I wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts if I moved too, so I didn't. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley took me in after that so I would have somewhere to stay. It's definitely an improvement," Ella tried assuaging her friends. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten to tell them sooner, but it really didn't seem like a big deal anymore. She'd been upset originally, but the Weasley family was her real family, nothing could change that.

Ginny nodded, "Her parents were awful, but that's why we're here to be your new family."

"So they're adopting you?" Angelina asked still trying to wrap her head around the whole event.

"I don't think so, they're just housing me and all. I've always looked at the two of them as something like my parents, and Ginny is close enough to be my sister. It's not really like an adoption, more of a makeshift family."

"Besides mum wouldn't want to ruin her chances at Ella becoming her daughter-in-law," Ginny giggled.

Ella choked on the butterbeer she'd been drinking, "What!"

Ginny laughed at her, "Mum has been hoping you and Fred will get together since that first Christmas you stayed at the Burrow. I remember her walking around for months after saying how sweet you are and how nice it'd be for you to be in the family. She teases Fred mercilessly when you aren't around; the twins definitely get their mischievous ways from her."

"Oh my god," Ella laughed embarrassed. The other girls were all snickering.

Katie was laughing hardest, "Your face is more scarlet than Gryffindor's house colors."

Ella groaned and put her head on the table, which only succeeded to make the rest of the girls laugh harder. She didn't realize that Molly wanted her and Fred together as well. Daughter-in-law made her stomach flip, but she also felt a sense of happiness at the news that Mrs. Weasley liked her that much. Molly really thought she was wonderful and wanted her in the family. It was enough to improve her mood for the rest of the day.

" _Sneaking around again? Meddling in things you shouldn't." Ella said feeling a familiar presence entering in her mind. She hated that it was familiar at this point. It made her sick._

" _Your guards are particularly strong this evening," Voldemort's voice cooed in her mind._

 _She stood taller, "Good. Glad you're struggling more than usual."_

" _Why not let your guard down?"_

" _Why not buzz off?"_

 _Voldemort was quiet for a while and Ella began to conjure images in the back of her mind. It was the mundane things, food, homework, muggle clothing, etc. She could feel his agitation growing as she increased the flow of images in his mind. If he wanted to understand what her abilities were like, she would let him know how disorienting they could be. She sent them in quick succession, making them swirl in the same way that sickened her constantly until she finally felt him leave her mind alone._

Ella dropped to her knees in the middle of the Common Room feeling frustrated. It was the middle of the night once more and Ella noticed a pattern that made her shake once again. The only time she ever started sleep walking was when Voldemort was involved.

"Harry," a voice whispered from the fireplace. Ella knew that voice.

"Sirius?" She moved to be in front of the dying embers completely shocked to see his face there.

Surprise flashed in his eyes for only a minute before a smile crossed his face, "Hello, Ella. I didn't think I would see you at this time of the night."

"I did think I'd see you at all," she said with a small laugh. "What are you doing in the fire place?"

"Well, I was talking with Harry, but he heard someone coming and I disappeared for a bit. I wanted to check one last time before leaving this house that he hadn't come back. Was it you he heard coming downstairs?"

"I don't think so. I didn't know Harry had been down here…" Ella trailed off.

Sirius looked at her concerned, "What is it, Ella?"

She took a deep breath, "Sirius, I didn't even know I had come down here. I've been sleep walking."

"Have you ever done that before because of your dreams?"

"No, but that's not the only thing Sirius, I've-" the words caught in her throat. She couldn't tell him about Voldemort in her dreams. He was probably worried enough about Harry being in the tournament and not getting caught. He didn't need her problems as well. "I've got a bad feeling about this year. I can't shake that things aren't going to improve."

Sirius was quiet for a moment, "That's definitely not a good thing to hear coming from a Seer. We need to keep our eyes open and be ready for anything that may come up. I need to go, but watch your back, Ella. Someone's gone after Harry, and I fear they might go after you as well."

* * *

 **A/N:Except, they've already gone after Ella. What did you think about this chapter? I want to know you thoughts on it, really anything. The reviews make me so excited! 10 reviews=a speedy next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20: The First Task

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter! It belongs to J.K. Rowling**

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The First Task

Ella had another two hours of fitful sleep before she decided to stay awake and spend the day doing homework. She moved all her books to her favorite spot in the Common Room and got started on her homework. It was a true sign of how awful she slept that she was awake and productive earlier than the House Elves would have breakfast prepared. Luckily, Dobby came by the Common Room to tidy things up one last time before the students woke up, and he offered to grab her some breakfast from the kitchen. Ella smiled warmly at the sweet House Elf as he set the food in front of her before showing off his newest pair of socks.

"I'll get you a new pair for Christmas, how would you like that?" Ella asked politely.

Dobby looked like he was going to cry, "That is too kind Miss, too kind! You don't have to do that for Dobby."

"But I want to. They're your favorite, aren't they?"

He nodded excitedly, "My very favorite, Miss. My first clothes was a sock, so now they're my favorite." Ella made a mental note of that for later since she really wanted to get him something for all the kind things he kept doing for her. At least with Dobby bringing her food, she wouldn't have to worry about losing her homework spot to get breakfast.

"You're up early," Alicia said taking the seat across from her a little after seven in the morning. A couple of people had woken up at this point, but only one or two others were around the Common Room still. Alicia had a large Herbology book in her hands.

"So are you, but it looks like you've got work to do," Ella replied gesturing to the textbook.

Alicia shrugged, "Definitely not the amount of work I'm sure you have, but I do need to work on some homework. I will say, it's easier to stay caught up without Quidditch practice all the time."

"But you miss it."

She set the book on the table, "Every day."

"That's understandable, but I can't really imagine what Katie or Angelina are going through right now. They want that as a profession," Ella said her eyes falling on the textbook once again.

"Part of me wouldn't mind that, but I feel like there's more I can do with my life than score goals. I want to help others; I know you can understand that," Alicia opened her book up and Ella found herself nodding.

"I really can, and I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting Quidditch to just be fun while you're here and not a career. Similarly, I don't see a problem with Katie and Angelina wanting to be Professional Quidditch players. It's whatever we want," Ella explained.

Alicia laughed mostly to herself, "Like you wanting to be an Auror." Ella looked at her confused. Alicia elaborated, "I don't see anything wrong with it, especially if you're as good as everyone says you are, but I know the others were a little worried. The twins particularly, but Angelina got frightened as well. It's not that they think you can't do it; we're just worried about you getting hurt while doing it. None of us want to see you hurt."

The image of Voldemort staring down at her flicked through her vision as it had in her dreams. Ella found her mouth getting dry as she looked at Alicia. She couldn't let her know that Ella was seeing herself in a position that could definitely lead to her getting hurt. The only thing that made it worse was that Ella was fairly certain the vision was coming up sooner than her admittance as an Auror.

"I'll be fine, Alicia. It's what school is supposed to prepare me for, right? Everything will be alright," Ella told her, and it seemed like Alicia believed Ella. She just wished she could believe her own words.

Despite her new habit to study in the library, Ella stayed in the Common Room for most of the day. She ended up leaving for lunch and dinner, otherwise all of her friends decided to study together. It was one of the first times they'd done that all year, and Ella missed it. The year before when everyone but Katie and herself were in their O.W.L. year, they were always studying together to get their homework completed on time. Part of the reason Ella was doing so well this year was because of how much O.W.L. material she looked at last year.

Everyone in the group seemed at ease that Sunday. Their jokes still bounced between each other as though it was yesterday they'd all met for the first time. Sometimes Ella couldn't believe she'd known these people for five years now, but she supposed it was how time worked. A lot had happened and changed over the past several years, and yet there they were, still together as a group of friends who cared about each other like a family. Even with her visions bearing down on her, Ella felt extremely lucky because the people in her life made everything better. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like if she had to face her visions day to day without friends to relieve the tension.

The next day, Ella found herself paired with the other Gryffindor girl who'd made it past the first round of duels. Ella didn't know Jennifer very well despite sharing a Dormitory with her, but Ella didn't think the girl liked her very much since she had a tendency to wake up the people in her Dormitory. Though, Ella did think she'd gotten better this year. Instead of screaming, she was sleep walking, which didn't feel like an improvement to Ella, but this girl probably did see it that way. Cormac and Katie looked nervously at each other realizing that the duel wasn't going to be easy. Ella was a little relieved she didn't have to face either one of them, but she might have to if she beat the other Gryffindor girl. The Slytherins were also paired against each other. It seemed Moody didn't care to make the opposite houses face off anymore.

"McLaggen, Bell." Moody barked. They both moved forward and the Gryffindors cheered a bit. Ella didn't know who she wanted to win more at that point. It didn't really matter to her. One of her friends would continue on.

Both stood in the center of the classroom and bowed to each other. Ella recognized the determination on Katie's face. She typically wore that expression for Quidditch, and Cormac looked just as determined to not lose. His usual cockiness wasn't quite there today. Ella wondered if he was actually worried about losing. He would never admit to it, but his stiff posture nearly gave him away. It was a close match; even Ella began to worry if she'd be able to handle the duels if everyone else was going to fight this hard for the rest of the rounds.

Katie was pulling a lot of the defensive spells she'd been looking at the day before out of her arsenal, which kept pushing Cormac to have to reevaluate how to get to her. It was obvious that he had been looking more into offensive while Katie was more defensive. It was probably what made them such an even match for each other. In a different setting, Ella would've laughed about how backwards their dueling styles were compared to their favorite Quidditch positions.

The duel could've lasted much longer, but Katie threw two very fast hexes instead of her usual defense. Cormac, who was surprised by the change of tactics, had turned to dodge the one and ended up falling straight into the second of the curses. It was only too easy after that for Katie to disarm Cormac as his legs wiggled uncontrollably beneath him. Moody stepped forward only briefly and gave some compliments to the two as Katie placed a counter-jinx on Cormac so his legs would stop shaking. McLaggen looked miffed by the idea of being beaten, and Ella had a feeling that he was going to adamantly swear to anyone who might mention it that he'd let Katie win. The two moved back into the crowd of students, and Ella smiled at proudly at Katie who seemed very pleased with herself. Ella hoped that if she beat Jennifer, she wouldn't have to face Katie next.

Ella found herself facing off with Jennifer much sooner than she expected. The Slytherin pair who'd faced off before didn't take very long. It wasn't for lack of trying, the girl was fighting frustrated tears as she moved back into the crowd. The boy who had won bumped into Ella's shoulder, making her stagger a bit into Katie. She glared at the boy who didn't seem bothered in the slightest. She looked up and down her opponent and noticed how tall she was. Nearly a foot taller than Ella, easily one of the tallest in their grade. Maybe even taller than the twins. Ella didn't remember her looking so tall or intimidating before the duel, but there hadn't been a reason to be afraid of her until now.

She glanced at Jennifer for a second as they both bowed and got into a position, _"Flipendo!"_

" _Furnunculus!"_

Jennifer dodged the jinx and Ella narrowly missed it as well. The last thing Ella wanted was boils erupting on her. She'd read about that one the night before and dismissed it as being too gross, but her opponent didn't share her sentiment.

" _Levicorpus!"_ Ella shouted causing the Gryffindor girl to be lifted in the air.

Ella opened her mouth to cast the disarming spell just as Jennifer shot out the sting spell. She leaped out of the way only for Jennifer to fall back to the ground. They were both back on their feet in record time. Spells flew out with ferocity. Her idea about some animosity towards Ella seemed to be correct. Jennifer seemed to have twice as much aggression as the others had; it was like she had a personal score to settle. Ella wrinkled her nose sending another jinx soaring across the classroom in an attempt to get her to trip over herself.

"Oh forget it!" Ella yelled. _"Expelliarmus!"_ To her and Jennifer's surprise the amount of frustration Ella channeled into the spell made it twice as powerful as it had been against her first opponent. The wand zipped across the room into Ella's outstretched hand. Everyone in the class seemed to just stare at the wand that Ella obviously hadn't expected to get. It had really been a last ditch effort to possibly disarm her. Ella hadn't expected to get lucky.

Moody limped forward, "Good try, Hopkirk. Don't let emotions get the better of you in a duel." Jennifer nodded then shot a disdainful look towards Ella who only just managed to keep a similar look off her face. "And you."

She turned to Moody, not liking his tone, "The same applies. Emotions get lucky. Duels aren't about luck. If you expect to be of any use, there can't be frustration or last ditch efforts. Panic has no place. I expect better." His last growl sent Ella scurrying back into the mass of students. Katie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as the last group of students went up to face off. Somehow, even though she won the duel, Ella felt more like she'd lost. A sense of dread filled her that she wasn't meeting his expectations, and someone else might get those lessons with him. Then she wouldn't have a leg up on the other Aurors that might be trying to go up against her. She'd have to try much harder next time.

"That seemed a lot harsher than necessary," Katie said as they walked down the hall away from the Defense classroom. The last duel lasted the rest of their class period, but since it wasn't a double defense class, Ella figured it made sense. Plus all of the duels were now taking up more time as the people who were better at it got closer to the prize.

"For once, I think I agree with Bell," McLaggen said from the other side of Katie. "He didn't even act like that much of a git towards me when I lost. And I think we all know he doesn't like me."

Ella shook her head, "He wouldn't have said it if it weren't true. I can do better than that, I have to keep trying harder."

Katie looked at her in disbelief, "You're the best in the class, Ella! Besides, what is he expecting anyways? What standard does he have for you to meet that the rest of us don't have?"

"Being an Auror," Cormac snorted. Katie turned to glare at him, he merely shrugged and explained, "Come on, Bell, he knows as well as we do that Worthington wants to be an Auror. He's an ex-Auror who's considered to be one of the best. I can see why she's held to a different level than the rest of us."

She huffed, "Well that's not really fair to her, is it? Expecting twice as much as the other students even though she probably could beat us all-"

"I could no-"

"You could, don't be modest when I'm trying to make a point. It's like Moody is training her for something she isn't yet and shouldn't have to be for two years. I don't care if you've suddenly had a change of heart about him, Ella. I don't like how Moody acts sometimes," Katie said.

"Moody is an ex-Auror who is trying to teach us about what we may face one day. He wants us to be prepared, and I don't think that was very respectful of you," Ella shot back heatedly.

Katie looked at her suspiciously, "You know, I don't want to argue with you. I'm sick of arguing with people; I want this stupid, stressful year to be over with already. Thank God, it's November. I need some sort of break soon, or I'm going to go mad. Maybe screaming at tomorrow's task will do me some good, and you as well." Before Ella could get another word in, Katie marched off towards her Muggle Studies class. She turned to look at Cormac who shrugged.

"We should probably head up to Divinations."

There was very little appeal in listening to Cho and Marietta fawning over the champions between their dream predictions. Ella's journal had only gotten darker and more jumbled as the year went on. It reached a point where Professor Trelawney only had Ella interpret McLaggen's dreams and McLaggen had to interpret Cho's and Marietta's. Ella couldn't even imagine how the other girls would keep focused with the task. Cho would be babbling nonstop about both Harry and Cedric while Marietta had her sights fully set on Krum. Ella was nearly ready to "predict" Krum would be eaten by a dragon and Cedric would be given amnesia after being hit with its tail, but she thought better of it since the two would probably faint once they saw the dragons, thinking what Ella said was true. She'd give anything to miss out on what was coming her way, and she was tempted to skip. She looked back at Cormac who gestured to the staircase. It was probably best not to skip in the long run anyway.

No one could pay attention to classes that Tuesday. Ella and everyone else in her classes just couldn't keep from fidgeting and wishing the time away until they could go to the first event of the tournament. McGonagall kept trying in vain to get people to working on making mice vanish, but everyone kept breaking into excited conversations about what the first task may be, who would win, and if anyone would be killed. Ella rolled her eyes as Cormac mentioned it being a troll.

"If it is, Harry's already beaten one of those and is sure to win," Katie snapped at Cormac who rolled his eyes.

"Beginner's luck. He had two other people helping him that time, anyway. My uncle-"

"As much as we would all be riveted by another harrowing tale of your uncle, Mr. McLaggen, I would be much more interested in seeing you make that mouse disappear," McGonagall said as she strolled over to the table Katie, Cormac, and Ella were occupying. "Even you, Miss. Worthington."

"Professor, I wasn't partaking in the conversation at all," Ella stated calming before casting the spell on the white little mouse who vanished completely.

She looked back at Professor McGonagall who gave a slight smile, "I see. Ten points to Gryffindor." She cast another pointed look at Katie and Cormac before moving away to put another group back on task.

"Teacher's pet," Cormac teased.

Ella rolled her eyes, "No, I'm just good at this."

Katie snickered, "Ever the humble one, aren't you?"

"You told me not to be." Katie rolled her eyes dramatically at Ella.

Class ended and it seemed all the students were making a mad dash for the Great Hall so they could get lunch and find their friends before the task started. Ella and Katie quickly found themselves at the electrified Gryffindor table with Angelina, Alicia, Lee, and the twins. They were all babbling excitedly, and Ella was actually able to join in for a part of it. She knew about the dragons, but for some reason, she couldn't remember seeing anything more specific about it. Even the types of dragons seemed to be hazy in her memory. It worried her slight, but it made it easier to place bets on people with her friends.

"Krum," Fred and George were both adamantly stating. "He's brilliant in general, so why wouldn't he be off the field?"

Angelina wrinkled her nose, "Look, I'm not saying that he isn't an amazing Quidditch player, but I'm not thinking he's going to do the best. I think that Harry's going to do decently well."

"Cedric could do pretty well too," Ella added. Angelina nodded looking over at the Hufflepuff table.

Fred's eyes narrowed, "That pretty boy has nothing going for him. I doubt he'll finish anywhere but last."

Ella looked at him, "He was chosen to be a champion, and while his dad is a complete prat, he's not that bad. I really don't understand why you dislike him so much."

" _Because you like him…_ " Fred thought bitterly, but luckily, they dismissed the students to go onto the grounds for the tournament. Ella found herself in the stands between Lee and George who took it upon himself to give his twin some room to not make a bigger fool of himself if Ella wanted to cheer for Cedric, or if Fred wanted to cheer for the dragon he thought with a slight smirk.

A stadium had been built near the Forbidden Forest. There was a fence that stood around the enclosure, and no one could get too close to it. Ella supposed the audience did pose a fire hazard to the event. All of her friends were buzzing with excitement. She spotted Ron and Hermione with a few other fourth years in the closest area to where the dragon would be. A few rows away Ginny and the Creevey brothers stood looking all over the stadium with wide eyes. Ella couldn't help the grin on her face as she noticed the camera in Colin's hands; she should've known he'd still be carrying that with him around Hogwarts. He was taking a picture of Ginny and Dennis as Ginny noticed Ella and waved at her. The brothers turned around and joined Ginny in waving. Colin held up his camera and Ella got her other friends to smile at him for his picture.

Just as the last students were hurrying into the stadium to find seats, a shrill whistle blew. Ella and everyone else in the area took that as a cue to cheer as loud as they typically would for a Quidditch tournament.

"You should be up there commentating," Ella whispered to Lee.

He shook his hair, sending his dreadlocks everywhere, "And miss out on any of the action? Not a chance."

Ella smiled slightly, "I do miss sitting up there with you." Lee threw one arm around Ella's shoulder.

"You and me both."

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament!" Ludo Bagman's voice magically echoed around them causing another wave of cheers. "Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what your champions will be facing, so without further ado!"

A roar erupted from the forest as several muscled dragon keepers brought in a large blue-grey dragon. Ella had never seen a full grown dragon before, and she had to admit she was awed by the giant creature in front of her. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once.

"Bloody hell! That's Charlie!" George shouted to Ella and Fred. They both leaned in to get a closer look and sure enough, Charlie Weasley was one of the men leading the dragon and its eggs into the arena. One egg was golden, and it didn't take a genius to know the champions needed to grab that egg. The blue dragon snorted steam and protectively covered the eggs with her front claws. The dragon keepers quickly left the main arena space, but Ella noticed they didn't go too far. It put her more at ease to know they were on hand in case things got messy. Ella glanced out of the corner of her eye to see George and Fred watching their older brother with unabashed wonder. For a moment, Ella wondered if they were going to give up their joke shop dream to be dragon keepers too, but that wasn't likely.

"And here's our first champion to compete, give it up one and all for CEDRIC DIGGORY!" The stands erupted with cheers for the Hufflepuff champion. Even Fred found himself clapping for him. It was hard to hate a guy who was up against a dragon. He stole a glance at Ella on the other side of George as she and Lee cheered. He wondered if she would've cheered like that had he been in the tournament.

Cedric took one look at the dragon and showed more bravery than many of the Gryffindors ever would. Ella figured she'd be a puddle in the face of a dragon, and that would've hardly made her a champion. He leaped towards it to get its attention, which worked well enough for noticing him, but not very good once Cedric realized he had the dragon's attention. A jet of flames burst out of its mouth and the crowd gasped.

"Use your magic, you bloody halfwit! If the first Hogwarts champion dies, it'll hardly do us justice!" Lee shouted beside Ella. Many others throughout the stadium were voicing similar opinions.

"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow!" Bagman shouted what everyone was thinking. Cedric lunged again shooting off sparks in one direction to see if the dragon would be interested in them. Unfortunately, it wasn't and swiped at him with its tail.

Ella winced hearing Bagman yell, "He's taking risks this one! _Clever move_ – pity it didn't work out!" Cedric dodged behind one of the several rocks around the enclosure. Ella leaned over the edge of the stands she was in to get a better look at him. A lot of the students were doing the same thing. Everyone collectively held their breath as Cedric gathered himself together for figuring out how to get his egg.

He moved out from behind his hiding space and cast a spell on a rock across the way. It became a Labrador that began running around that half of the enclosure. The dragon stared at what would probably be a tasty treat for it and began to move away from the eggs, eyes trained on the dog. Cedric took his chance and raced towards the eggs as quickly as he could. Ella covered her mouth with her hands as she watched everything unfold. Cedric just made it within arm's reach of the egg when the dragon suddenly changed its mind. A squeak left Ella mouth and several screams echoed through the air as the dragon let out an earth shaking roar and sent a burst of fire heading straight towards Cedric.

Cedric rolled out of the way, and only half of him managed to catch fire. The dragon keepers raced forwards to get Cedric out of harm's way and place the creature back into whatever place they'd been storing their dragons.

Bagman was shouting, but it could hardly be heard over the cheers erupting throughout the stadium for the Hogwarts student. Even the twins had given up their animosity as they got caught up with the crowd. It had taken him fifteen minutes to get the egg, but it hardly felt like five with all the adrenaline flowing through Ella's blood. She could hardly believe there were three more champions that still had to go through this.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman shouted as the crowd finally died down enough. "And now the marks from the judges." Ella was too busy watching half the keepers helping Cedric off the field while the other half brought on a new green dragon with different looking eggs, but the same golden one still perched among them.

Lee had been watching the scores though, "Not bad, really. He would've probably scored higher if he hadn't been hurt so much. He took quite a few hits there. Though, I don't know if I could've done better. Getting around a dragon in fifteen minutes doesn't sound feasible, but here it is." Ella nodded dazed by the whole thing. She was going to have a panic attack by the end of this and she'd known about the dragons. Why hadn't she told the champions? Especially Harry, he needed the help more than any of the others, he was so young compared to them. Only a year younger than her, of course, but he was still three years younger than what he was supposed to be. Ella knew she couldn't bring herself to cheat though.

Another whistle blew as Bagman called out, "One down, three to go! Miss. Delacour, if you please!"

Fleur Delacour walked out of the competitor's area with her head held high. Several boys in the crowd turned in her direction to stare, but plenty of people weren't looking at her as a pretty face but a force to be reckoned with. Her wand was already drawn and she looked prepared for a fight. The Beauxbatons were all cheering and shouting in French. Fleur tried to cast a couple of spells at it, but the new green dragon moved its head out of the way so they bounced off its scales without any damage. Instead of whatever Fleur had intended, it only seemed to irritate the dragon. It growled menacingly.

"Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" Bagman shouted nervously.

Lee huffed, "What an understatement. She looks like she's trying to attack the mother dragon or something to get the eggs. I'm not sure how that'll go over with the judges, but I also don't think that's a very smart plan." Another jinx made smoke start billowing out of the dragon's snout. "Maybe she's trying to get the dragon to come after her so she can run at the eggs. Still not a good plan." The dragon sent a jet of flames towards her.

"Oh…nearly!" It looked extremely annoyed at this point. The crowd winced as Fleur narrowly missed the next shot the dragon had at her, but she dodged close enough to nearly have the egg before the dragon's tail swatted her away. "Careful now...good lord, I thought she'd had it then!"

It took another ten minutes of dodging and spells before Fleur finally managed to find the spell she needed to use. With a wave of her wand, the dragon began to fall asleep. Fleur dashed towards the eggs and grabbed it just as the dragon let out a giant snore that managed to ignite her skirt as well. The audience gasped, but Fleur quickly cast aguamenti to put out the flames. Everyone clapped as Fleur held up her egg triumphantly. Several Beauxbaton girls cheered and hollered as Fleur turned to the judges to see her scores. Ella watched this time as each judge sent a silvery ribbon out of their wands in the shape of a number.

"First place so far and we still haven't seen Krum or Harry," Lee whispered to Ella as the last score went up. She didn't get a lot of points. Probably because of the amount of time she took along with being slightly hurt and unsuccessful for her first several attempts at getting the egg. At least Cedric had a plan and stuck with it, Fleur seemed to be trying a lot of different tactics. Not that Ella felt she would've done any better than her. She was perfectly happy sitting in the stands instead of being out there herself. Madam Maxime didn't look very happy with Fleur as she moved over to the medical tent Cedric was in to get checked over.

The Beauxbaton students didn't seem very pleased with not being in first place, but Ella didn't find that she cared too much. She was glad Hogwarts was doing well. The dragon keepers worked on moving the green dragon away from the enclosure. They brought out sleek red dragon this time and replaced the other dragon's eggs with this mother's eggs.

"Do you know, any of these breeds?" Ella asked Lee.

He shrugged, "Not really, but I'm not really a dragon expert."

George, on the other hand, piped up, "I'm not Charlie, but I know a couple of them. This one is a Chinese Fireball. Charlie really like working with them. He says they like to spit fire at every chance they get, otherwise they're not so bad."

Ella glanced at the dragon, "Of course, that certainly sounds like a minor inconvenience. We should get one for the Common Room." George snorted.

"Not a chance I'd want a dragon for a pet, but don't even suggest it to Charlie. He probably would do it, you know."

Once again, the whistle blew, "And here comes Mr. Krum!" The cheering was wild for Krum as he slouched out of the competitor's tent. Ella felt like she was back in the Quidditch World Cup. She was vaguely aware that most people were cheering for Krum because of his fame, but he also looked like someone with a plan. She wondered whether the Chinese Fireball was more imposing that an International Qudditch Cup because both seemed pretty terrifying to her.

Krum wasted no time with assessing his situation and moved right up to the dragon. Ella's eyes widened as it looked like Krum was daring enough to calmly walk up to a full-grown mother dragon and her eggs. He stopped right in front of the dragon and let it size him up just as he was doing to the dragon. Ella wondered if he had lost his mind or his nerve when he neglected to do anything.

"What the bloody hell is he doing!" Ella heard Fred shout.

Bagman also seemed surprised, "Very daring!" A jet of light went straight into the dragon's eye from Krum's wand. It let out a pained shriek and crushed a few of the eggs.

Ella gasped covering her mouth, "THAT'S AWFUL!" She couldn't believe that was Krum's plan. No one else had hurt the poor creatures yet. They just wanted to protect their eggs, and now he's made it step on them. George put an arm on Ella's shoulder noticing her distress.

"The dragon is tougher than that, it's a distraction."

"But the eggs!"

"Look at the keepers, Ella. Look at Charlie. They barely reacted; I highly doubt they'd put the real eggs out there in case something like this were to happen. But I'd bet anything he'll lose some points for that!" George said. They watched as Krum tried to reach the egg. He kept dodging the rampaging dragon, and more than once had to backtrack before he could get it. Just as Krum reached the egg, he had to roll out of the way of some of the angry flames the dragon was spewing blindly.

Bagman's voice echoed once more, "That's some nerve he's showing – and – yes, he's got the egg!" Applause erupted as the dragon keepers rushed out to help the dragon and get her back to her cage, and Ella hoped her real eggs as well. She really hoped George was right about the other eggs being fake.

The judges gave high marks for Krum's speed and bravery, but he definitely lost some points for the eggs being crushed like George predicted. Karkaroff still managed to find Krum faultless and give him full points for his performance. Many of the students from Hogwarts and Beauxbatons shook their heads at the favoritism.

"Figures Karkaroff would be a biased jerk," George huffed. Lee asserting the same sentiment with more expressive language.

"And now," Lee practically sang as another whistle blew.

There was a mixture of cheers and jeers as Harry made his way towards the dragon. He looked extremely pale and Ella hoped all the people who believed he signed up for this willing could see that he hadn't. Instead of looking at the ferocious creature in front of him, Harry was staring at the crowd of students that had all gathered in the stands to watch the tournament. He looked so much smaller than the others, not that Ella thought he'd like to hear that.

Ella's eyes fell on the sleek, black dragon that's spiked tail flicked about threateningly. None of the dragons had been safe, but this one oozed danger and agitation. How did Harry manage to get the testiest and most dangerous looking of dragons? The other competitors had to worry about claws, but Harry's problems didn't end there because there was a bloody tail filled with spikes also standing in his way.

" _Accio Firebolt!"_

"That brilliant boy!" Ella exclaimed immediately realizing what he was trying to do. The twins looked at Ella confused.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes, "He's bloody brilliant, that's what!"

Before she had a chance to explain, the firebolt came into sight. It zipped past them into the enclosure next to Harry. The audience roared in approval. Harry quickly got on his broom and kicked off the ground.

"Well, I would have never expected this! How brilliant, ladies and gentlemen, how brilliant!" Bagman shouted. Ella watched Harry shoot up well above the stadium. Everyone craned their necks to get a glimpse of the Boy Who Lived as he raced up above. For a moment, Harry hovered above them all; Ella recognized it well enough. She'd seen him do the same at a number of Quidditch matches, only this time it wasn't the golden Snitch he needed but a golden egg.

Soon enough Harry was diving back to the Earth as quickly as he would if he'd caught sight of the Snitch. The crowd gasped as they watched him zoom towards the dragon who was well aware of the human flying towards it. The flames flicked at its mouth before shooting out the burning flame the crowd had watched every champion get singed by. Not Harry though. He dodged it entirely by swerving out of the way.

The audience shrieked and Bagman bellowed, "Great Scott he can fly! Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?" Ella hoped he was because Harry was flying superbly. He soared around the dragon, its eyes following Harry in his dizzying circle. Everyone was eating it up, and just as the dragon began to get aggravated once more, he let up. Instead he dived once more towards the dragon. He missed the flames, but Ella shouted in surprise as one of the spikes on the dragon's tail caught Harry's shoulder. Several people screamed at it, but Harry managed to stay on the broom. It didn't look too deep, but Ella couldn't tell from her spot.

Harry watched the dragon and began to fly near it once again, realizing time was of the essence. Ella hoped he had a plan that didn't consist of becoming dinner. He dipped close to the dragon but managed to keep the beast from shooting flames, but Ella could see it getting annoyed with him. It fangs bared at Harry as she sat higher on her claws to try and reach him. Harry merely flew a little higher causing the dragon's neck to stretch as far as it possibly could without flying. She was so focused on the match that she could hardly hear Bagman's commentary, sounding as impressed as she felt. The screams around her seemed like a whistling wind compared to the focus she had on Harry and his dragon.

His dragon let out a roar, but it wasn't as monumental as the others had been. It was more annoyed. She shot some flames into the air but Harry was able to dodge them with ease on the firebolt. Ella was going to have to praise Sirius for his choice in gift after this. Harry's flying was the only thing keeping her nerves in check at this point.

Finally, the dragon shook its head and uncurled its giant wings. It was standing at her full height and gave one great flap before Harry plummeted towards the ground once more causing a collective gasp from the spectators who were utterly enthralled. Harry took his hands off his broom, much like he'd done in his first ever Quidditch match to grab the egg. Before Ella could say "Quidditch," Harry had the golden egg in his hands and was flying away from the dragon as quickly as he could.

It felt like everyone in the stands was screaming as loud as they could for Harry as he held the egg under his uninjured arm. Ella screamed with them as Lee grabbed her in a hug screaming that Harry had done it. The Weasley twins were also shouting about Harry being brilliant. Most people's words faded into a general din of excitement and those who couldn't form words seemed to just cream as loud as their voices could manage.

"Look at that!" Bagman cheered with the crowd. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Once again, the dragon keepers were racing onto the field to try and get the dragon away from everyone. From her spot in the stands, Ella could see Ron and Hermione make their way down to the field to get to the tent and to Harry. Professors McGonagall, Moody, and Hagrid were motioning for Harry to head their way. They said a few words to him before he went to the tent. Even from the distance Ella was at, she could see McGonagall smiling as widely as she had the year before when they won the Quidditch Cup. Harry disappeared for a moment and everyone was still shouting.

"He's done it. Harry's got to have this one! He was the fastest and he was hurt the least of them all, except maybe Krum. But he crushed the other eggs. Harry's going to win this!" Fred shouted.

"I smell a party in the Gryffindor Common Room!" George shouted, and several surrounding Gryffindors cheered wildly.

Fred nodded, "Of course! Though, we'd better say hello to Charlie first or mum will have our head!"

After a few minutes, Harry reemerged from the tent with Ron at his side. Ella couldn't help but smile at those stupid boys. The crowd went wild at Harry's appearance. As she looked around, she noticed many people had taken off their Potter Stinks badges. Even the Hufflepuffs had given them up. Harry had proved himself worthy enough, and anyone who thought a fourteen year old had entered before had certainly changed their minds after seeing the dragons. They all turned to the judges to see their scores. Everything was looking excellent until it reached Karkaroff who gave Harry a four.

"You!" Ella shrieked along with many Hogwarts students who seemed to be unimpressed with his outrageous bias.

Fred fumed, "Bloody git! You gave Krum ten after he crushed his eggs!" George shouted as well, but it didn't seem to do much good. His decision was final, but that still left Harry tied for first with Krum. Enough of the students seemed pleased with that.

As they left the stands and headed back to the school, they saw Charlie speaking with Harry and Ron. Harry headed back into the tent while Ron waited outside of it. Charlie managed to reach Ella, Fred, and George. Ginny sprinting from her spot with the Creeveys to see her brother.

"So what'd you think?" Charlie said with a grin.

Before any of them could answer, a woman with jeweled spectacles and tight curls bounded up to them, "Hello! Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet, you are one of the dragon keepers from Romania, correct? Do you speak English? Care to say a few words?"

Charlie looked at the woman as if she'd gone mad, "I speak English well enough, and I'd rather not have an interview." Ella glanced at the woman's glasses with intrigue. They actually were exactly like the beetle's markings. How extraordinary. Though, she shouldn't have been too surprised since her charm bracelet she always wore was the same marking around her right paw as a fox.

"What are you staring at?" Rita Skeeter snapped before noticing her Gryffindor robes. "Oh, you're in Harry's House! Wonderful! Care for a quick interview? Just a few words about the _real_ Harry Potter." Her eyes flashed when she said that and Ella realized that she wasn't looking for a story about Harry beating a dragon. She wanted dirt on him from the people around him most.

Ella glared at her, "Would you quit bugging us?"

Rita looked affronted, "Excuse me, what did you just say to me?"

"You heard me. Quit bugging us, fly off to whatever place you came from," Ella retorted. She refused to so much as break eye contact with the woman.

She looked at Ella curiously, "What are you playing at, girl?"

"Nothing, I simply want you to buzz off. Harry is a wonderful boy, while you are a little beetle."

Rita Skeeter's mouth twisted up as though she had just taken a bite of a particularly sour lemon. Without another word, she marched off to undoubtedly try to get someone else to be a better interviewee. The Gryffindors laughed at her retreating form before making their way back to the castle. Ella followed the twins to the castle to help them bring back enough food for a proper party. They certainly had reason to celebrate.

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 **A/N: As promised, A chapter after 10 reviews! The first task has finished, and I would love to hear what you thought! How about another 10 reviews until the next chapter? Hope you enjoyed!**


	21. Chapter 21: House Elf Liberation Front

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **And I also want to apologize for disappearing for so long. For a while it was because I was facing a busy semester and things were going really, really well, but everything in my schedule was just too packed to write. Then everything just sort of fell apart for me, and it was too difficult for me to even try writing. I just didn't feel like doing that or anything. I'm still trying to pick things up and deal with putting myself back together, but your support and understanding means the world to me. I love Ella's story and know where I want to take it. I guarantee I will finish it one day. It just took me a minute to get back on my feet. Thank you all again for your wonderful support. I hope this chapter can make up for my absence.**

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The House Elf Liberation Front

The amount of food the twins and Ella managed to smuggle back to Gryffindor Tower was truly a feat. It was amazing they hadn't been caught, and even more so that they'd managed to get it all there without some enchantment. They had a new record. The Hufflepuffs also seemed to be celebrating because they hadn't been the only House in the kitchen with the House Elves happily dashing around to make them food and grab butterbeers.

As they entered the Common Room, there was a loud commotion, until they realized it wasn't Harry who walked in. After that it was a loud commotion because they had the food with them. Lee was getting ready to set off Filibuster's fireworks while a fourth year boy drew Harry on his broom, flying around the dragon's head. There were a couple of small drawings of Cedric with his head on fire, but Ella didn't feel like telling him off or anything. It was still pretty accurate to how the events played out. She, George, and Fred began to set out the food and drinks on all the available surfaces around the room.

Harry finally arrived with Ron and Hermione several minutes later. Everyone in the room began cheering wildly for the fourth year who'd tied for first place. Lee let the fireworks go, and they streaked colorfully across the Common Room. Harry looked around in awe at all the food and decorations they'd put together to celebrate his success. Many people were already eating, and Harry wasted no time filling his plate with food. Ella laughed at the amount he piled on; it looked like he hadn't eaten in months. Ella stood beside one of the food tables and watched as Ron, Hermione, and Harry all took a seat together.

Lee dashed towards her, "Look what we have here!" His excitement was directed towards the large golden egg that Harry left on the table.

"What d'you think you're doing?"

He smirked at her and picked the egg up, "Blimey, this is heavy." Ella took it out of his hands and was shocked that Lee wasn't exaggerating. It was much heavier than she expected. Ella handed it back to Lee, who moved towards Harry, "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!" Ella nodded enthusiastically with a couple other people around them.

"He's supposed to work out the clues on his own. It's in the tournament rules," Hermione began to protest. Harry quickly leaned over and whispered something to Hermione causing her to blush and smile sheepishly.

"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" Ella shouted seeing Hermione give in. Several others began to cheer and echo what she said.

Lee handed Harry the egg, and Ella watched as Harry tried to wrench the thing open. Everyone leaned forward to get a better look at what was inside the golden egg. For a fraction of a second, Ella recognized that nothing was in the egg, but the next moment, her hands were covering her ears as it let out a horrible screech. It bounced off the walls, and it didn't seem like it wanted to offer any sort of reprieve.

Fred moved beside her and bellowed, "Shut it!" Harry slammed it closed and several people cautiously took their hands off their ringing ears.

"What was that?" The sandy-haired boy Ella had threatened when telling Ron off yelled. "Sounded like a banshee… Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"

"After a dragon? Not likely," Ella scoffed to the twins, who snorted in agreement.

Across the room, Neville had gone extremely pale, "It was someone being tortured! You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," George said. Ella elbowed him hard in the side. He looked at her before saying a little nicer, "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing…maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry." Ella laughed imagining Viktor Krum sneaking up on Percy as he was singing.

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" Fred asked offering up a plate of very appetizing pastries they'd knicked from the kitchen.

Hermione was looking at the plate suspiciously, which Ella figured was a smart idea, but she knew they were fine. She carried the plate up herself, and the last she heard, the twins needed to develop their products instead of just adding an ingredient to something already made.

"It's all right, I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch–"

Neville who had just bitten into one of the custard creams choked and spit it back out onto the floor. Fred laughed. Ella looked at the custard creams hesitantly. She didn't remember the House Elves giving those to them.

She walked over and grabbed a jam tart, taking a bite as Fred said, "Just my little joke, Neville…"

Hermione, seeing Ella with one, took a jam tart and asked, "Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?"

"Yep," Fred responded proudly. Ella's eyes widened and she looked at George only to notice he was joking around with Lee. Fred continued imitating the House Elves, "'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful…get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."

"How do you get in there?" Hermione asked in an innocent voice. One Ella had used herself once or twice. The clever girl.

Fred didn't think twice, "Easy, concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and –" George had finally noticed his brother's conversation, and Ella was trying not to giggle as Fred slowly realized what Hermione was doing. "Why?"

"Nothing."

George looked at her suspiciously, "Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you? Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?" A couple students chuckled at the idea of a House Elf rebellion; most of them were well-meaning purebloods, but that only made Ella feel more protective. She moved forward and placed a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries! You'll put them off their cooking!" Fred said.

Hermione was about to retort when Neville let out a loud squawk. Everyone watched him turn into a giant canary, feathers and all. The Common Room burst into laughter, even Ella couldn't help herself.

"Oh – sorry, Neville! I forgot – it _was_ the custard creams we hexed!" Fred shouted above the roar of laughter. It only took a moment for Neville to lose the feathers and join in on the laughter. The bright feathers were scattered around the floor, and a couple people picked them up to see what they were like, only to be delighted as they disappeared completely.

"Brilliant," Ella said to herself with a grin, watching the feather in her hand disappear into nothing. George smiled at her before looking back at his brother.

"Canary Creams!" Fred yelled out to the Common Room. "George and I invented them – seven Sickles each, a bargain!"

As Fred began selling the Canary Creams to the Gryffindors, George bumped into Ella teasingly, " _Brilliant_." He mimicked her with a mischievous grin.

Ella stuck out her tongue, "Don't make me take it back. The two of you have a good idea once in a while. It's only fair I recognize it; though I doubt I want to inflate your egos so much."

George ignored Ella's tease for the most part, "But it's not me you find brilliant. Fred came up with the idea of the creams. I helped him with actually creating them. You might think I'm smart, but I can tell which of us you find positively _brilliant_."

"You're impossible."

"I'm right though."

She thought for a moment, "So what if you are? I think he's brilliant, and? If I'm right, that took an impressive charm to transfigure Neville and make it disappear so completely. It was impressive."

"I can't deny that, but look at him…" Against her better judgement, Ella turned to look at Fred. He was standing in a crowd of several excited people. They were all laughing and turning into giant canaries as they ate the Canary Creams. He stood in the center of it all, looking every bit as excited as all of them. His smile infected the crowd, and everyone seemed to be swept up in the fun.

"He's brilliant, George. He really is."

George smiled softly, "Tell him that."

Ella watched Fred as she answered his twin, "Do you seem his smile? You know how carefree you both are. I can't be that way right now, not with O.W.L.s, not with... There's too much going on to drag him down to where I am."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Maybe you could let him raise you out of where you are."

She sighed, "I'm sorry, George. I can't do that to him."

"But you think he's–"

"Brilliant, happy, free…"

"He can be an idiot sometimes, you know."

Ella laughed, "Absolutely. A complete and utter idiot."

"And yet, you still fancy him just as much as if he had the brains of Rowena Ravenclaw herself. I think Rowena the owl has smarter moments than him," George laughed nudging her in the side.

She returned the nudge, "He's bird brained for sure, but at least I'm not the one related to him. I could stop fancying him whenever I please, but you will always be related to him."

"Oh, the horror," George cried out before Ella shushed him through her giggles.

The party ended around one in the morning despite classes being the next morning. Ella knew she'd regret staying up that late once the morning rolled around, but she couldn't find the will to drag herself to bed and nightmares when there was so much fun happening in the Common Room. As everyone moved up to get into bed, Ella remained in the Common Room, until she was the only one left.

She could feel everything building up, not matter how much she didn't want to face her nightmares, she could feel them bubbling like a cauldron ready to boil over. It would be a rough night, much like most others this year. Ella looked at the couch near the fireplace, wondering if she should just stay there, but she knew it was too close to the portrait hole to even consider. If she slept walked that night, it'd be a clear shot out of the room, and even though Ella didn't know where she was subconsciously trying to go, she knew she couldn't allow herself to get there. It was difficult, but Ella managed to climb the stairs to her dormitory and quietly get ready for a night of restless sleep.

 _Ella gripped her wand tightly. She hardly thought about it or the smooth movements she had as she easily shot off spells that should've been well beyond her fifth year knowledge. It felt like the wand and her arm were the same entity, and the sheer force of each curse made something in the back of Ella's head reel with surprise. She'd never felt so in control of her magic, or focused on a task. She could only imagine that this is how it felt to really duel against someone._

 _The exhilaration of the duel was the only sensation Ella could feel racing through her blood. Wherever this intense battle was supposed to take, Ella couldn't see it. At times, she felt the heat of a jinx barely missing her, but she moved with so much grace and skill. It was almost mechanical, yet flowing at the same moment. Everything about the vision fascinated her. It wasn't like her typical dream._

 _A searing pain spread across her shoulder. She hadn't dodged a spell quick enough. Ella didn't know what spell hit her; she just knew it hurt. Despite what Ella felt, her other self continued to battle with the same intensity as before the injury. Would this kind of injury be second nature to her in the future? Was it only Ella's dream-self feeling it, or could the Ella who was in the middle of a battle feel the horrible stinging pain radiating through her shoulder sending throbbing pulses all the way to the tips of her fingers._

 _In an instant, she felt herself turn, the urgency from the battle quickly shifting into something else entirely. Ella could feel the panic race through her veins. A fear unlike anything she'd ever felt striking into the pit of her stomach with enough force to leave Ella choking. She was no stranger to fear, but this was entirely new. She was drowning in utter terror for that instant until a burning pain arced across her back._

 _Ella fell to her knees and finally found she could see what was around her. The first thing she noticed was the dead grass beneath her knees and crushed in her fists as she barely held herself off the ground. She could feel an echo of the pain she'd been in before on her shoulder and back. A stale breeze rustled some of the grass around her; Ella shuddered as it passed through her._

" _Failure."_

 _Her head shot up at the nearly inaudible whisper. Gravestones sat all around her in crude half circles. Nothing seemed to differentiate one grave from the next. It was one of the oddest gravesite Ella had ever come across. Everything about it felt wrong._

" _Failure."_

 _She whipped around just as a breeze lifted her hair. No one was in sight. Just hundreds of awful gravestones that seemed to close in around her. She couldn't figure out why she was there. Ella knelt down to see how old the grave was or if it was supposed to mean anything to her._

 _DRACO MALFOY_

 _Ella blinked rapidly at the name chipped into the stone. Why would Malfoy be in this graveyard? He must have had a relative he was named after that had been buried in this graveyard. It was the only explanation that made sense. Even as the thought crossed her mind, Ella knew it didn't feel right. She turned and marched down the rows of graves before stopping at another._

 _RONALD WEASLEY_

 _It felt like her heart stopped. Not Ron. He couldn't be in the ground beneath that gravestone. He had just been in the Common Room hours before laughing with Harry after they made up. That was where Ron was, not in the ground. Not here. He couldn't possibly be. Not now, and not ever._

" _Failure…failure…failure…"_

 _The wind began to pick up and the ghostly chorus began chanting more frequently. Ella stumbled backwards into another grave. She fell from a mixture of surprise and the wind knocking her over. She placed a hand on top of the grave to help stand. Her eyes fell on the stone without meaning to._

 _ARTHUR WEASLEY_

 _A sob forced itself out of her mouth before she even had the chance to form a coherent thought. Her shoulders shook as she tried to compose herself but failed miserably. Her family couldn't be dying. They couldn't possibly end up dead; she wouldn't let them be. The 'failures' were harsh bellows within a fierce wind that pulled her hair all around. She took her hand off the gravestone and found herself staring at her palm._

 _Blood coated her hand and dripped off the tips of her fingers. Ella's breathing hitched. She could already tell there wasn't a cut on her hand causing this amount of blood. She looked back at the grave to see it dripping with tiny drops of red. Ella held her other hand to her face and found the same amount of blood covering it. The grave stones were all turning a murky red color. The blood was on her hands. Their blood was on her hands._

" _FAILURE…FAILURE…FAILURE…"_

 _Ella screamed._

December started with a lot of wind and sleet. It was very fitting for Ella's mood over the past week. She didn't know what to do with herself, so she did the only thing that seemed to shut out everything in her head, she threw herself into her work with a ferocity Hermione had yet to reach. It was the only time the roaring in her mind could be dulled down to a whisper. She clung to the words in her lectures and she managed to push herself in almost every instance. The only thing that really suffered was her friends, but she couldn't get herself to go near them. She'd managed to wake herself up whenever she appeared in the graveyard after that initial encounter, but she could still hear the whispers following her everywhere she went. She wondered if any of her friends' names were also on the list of never-ending gravestones that seemed to be there because of her.

She currently sat in Divinations listening to Trelawney discuss the positions of the stars and the potential for terrible things in come in the spring. Typically, this conversation would've bored her and she and Cormac would be rolling their eyes at Marietta and Cho who had yet to stop gossiping about the First Task despite the fact it had been two weeks since it happened. McLaggen had already given up with trying to get her to act differently. He'd nearly been hexed after that first time he tried coaxing her back into interacting with people.

Katie was becoming so upset with how distant Ella was getting that McLaggen even picked up on that in their other classes. Ella knew Katie wasn't happy, but Ella rationalized that she'd rather see Katie sad and concerned than dead because of a mistake Ella made. She'd rather not interact with anyone if that meant saving her friends.

"Good, Worthington. Significant improvement from last time," Moody growled as she beat the Slytherin she'd been paired against. The feeling of her dream-duel still flowed through her for the most part, and it made the duel seem much easier. Her lack of emotion seemed to make her a lot more clearheaded for the fight. Katie unfortunately lost, but Ella was glad she wouldn't have to face her. She would've thrown the match rather than attack Katie. They would have one more class to duel until a winner was chosen.

The Gryffindor students moved towards their Transfigurations class as soon as Defense Against the Dark Arts had finished. Ella kept her head down and moved quickly between the classes. Katie and Cormac stayed back and walked together instead of trying to keep up with her.

"She won't talk to any of us."

MacLaggen looked at Katie, "She's probably just stressed about O.W.L.s."

"No. I'm stressed about O.W.L.s. Half of our year is stressed about O.W.L.s, but Ella is definitely dealing with something more. She won't talk to any of us, so we have no way to know what it could be."

"Maybe you should just let her open up when she's ready for it? If I've noticed anything with Ella, it's that she doesn't like to be pushed. It stresses her out more."

Katie nodded her head and they followed the crowd of fifth years to their next class. Ella had already made it to Transfigurations and slid into a spot at the front of the room. Her stomach had started to twist and it felt like someone dropped a brick on her forehead. She couldn't figure out what had made her sick all of the sudden. Her hands shook as she took the books out of her bag and placed them on the table. She could feel tremors going up her back and wondered if she was getting sick from the weather, but this didn't feel like a cold or anything she'd experienced outside of her dreams. The only reason she didn't think it was her dreams was because that sickness she'd wake up with, this came out of nowhere.

"Miss. Worthington, are you feeling alright?"

Ella looked up at Professor McGonagall wondering when she got there. The classroom had completely filled with students, but only seconds before Ella could've sworn she'd been alone in the classroom. When did they get there?

"Did you hear me, Miss. Worthington?" McGonagall asks again her voice softening slightly. Ella's head snapped in her direction and she could feel her classmate's eyes on her.

Her fingers played with the end of a quill, "I feel a little sick, Professor. I'm sorry."

McGonagall didn't look entirely convinced, "Why don't you go to the Hospital Wing and pick up some nerve draughts. They may help out a little."

"Yes, Professor."

Ella gathered her things into her bag and pulled it on her shoulder as she left the room. She tried to ignore the eyes that followed her out of the classroom, especially Katie and McLaggen's worried stares. She wondered how she lost track of time like that. She knew the classroom was empty when she got in there, and she couldn't have been lost in thought for more than a few seconds. Ella moved slowly towards the Hospital Wing hoping she wouldn't run into Peeves or any other students.

"Miss. Worthington, are you feeling alright?" Madam Pomfrey looked up from the potions she'd been brewing. By the smell, Ella could assume they were to fight off the inevitable way of colds that the weather would bring.

"I haven't been feeling well lately. Professor McGonagall sent me here to get some calming potions," Ella explained.

Madam Pomfrey nodded and stood up from her desk. Ella watched her move across the room to a little cabinet that was typically filled with all sorts of potions that could solve nearly any problem a student might have. She didn't even know what all the potions did, she wondered if Alicia was getting close to knowing them all.

"Do you think you'll need more than two? I don't want to give you more than you need because these really shouldn't be overused, but I know this is a stressful year for you, and O.W.L.s mixed with your other abilities…well, I don't want you to struggle by any means. I just don't want you to get addicted to these."

"Addicted? What do you mean?"

The nurse put two potions into the bag, "The potions themselves should not be addictive, but I have experienced witches and wizards who got used to the potions handling their problems for them. They found it easier than learning to handle it themselves."

Ella took the bag in her hands, it felt a lot heavier than it should have, "I'll be sure to watch myself." Madam Pomfrey handed Ella a calming potion and she drank from the small vial.

"Back to class with you now. You don't want to get behind…that certainly wouldn't help your stress at all."

The rest of her classes passed without much trouble. She felt much better after her calming potion. Even her final double Divinations class couldn't make her feel too upset. She and McLaggen climbed the ladder into the overly perfumed room and sat on the little poufs around their table. Cho and Marietta crawled up a few minutes later. Ella pulled her journal out of her bag but didn't dare open it. She really only let Trelawney skim through the pages once a class before quickly tucking it away. Marietta eyed it disdainfully.

"I still don't see why you can't even share anymore. That's hardly fair for the rest of the class. Who cares if you can actually see anything. Who even says you can?"

Cho looked at Marietta startled, "Ella can see the future. I've heard it before, and I've told you she can."

"Alright, so what does it matter? She could still share her dreams with us, I'm sure. Do you even write anything in your journal…" Marietta reached across the table and grabbed the journal. Despite Ella's calming potion, panic immediately shot through her.

"Give that back!"

Ella ripped the book out of Marietta's hands just as she cracked it open. Trelawney walked into the classroom just as Ella had got the book in her hand. Ella and Marietta glared at each other. Marietta's face was flushed with anger while Ella's hands shakily set the book back down on the table.

"What's going on?"

"Marietta stole Ella's journal, Professor," Cormac said glaring at the Ravenclaws.

Cho quickly jumped to Marietta's defense, "She was only curious, Professor Trelawney."

The Professor held up her hand, "Journals are only meant to be seen by those interpreting them. If Ella has not shown you her journal, then you are not to touch it, understood?"

Marietta glared at Ella before turning to Trelawney with her head bowed, "I understand, Professor. I apologize." The other students in the class whispered around them and a few snickered. Ella kept the journal tightly held in her fingers as Trelawney began to lecture the class about Seeing Beyond what the average eye does.

"Ella, may I see your dream journal?" Ella looked up at Trelawney. She had told the groups to use a new method of interpretation for each other's most recent dreams, but Ella hadn't been focusing on that. She'd been drifting off in the cozy room. McLaggen let her, feeling like Ella might need the break.

She handed her journal to Professor Trelawney who looked over some dreams. Ella had most recently been dreaming about a hall filled with people speaking over top of each other. She couldn't focus on what anyone was saying and whatever words she did catch seemed to be part of a riddle. It was a loud dream that left her confused. Luckily, she hadn't seen Voldemort in a while. She knew he'd be still trying to break into her dreams, but she also felt like she was strong enough to keep him at bay. Not that she included Voldemort in her journal. She was fairly honest with it, but there were some things she couldn't include.

"I've see some of these things myself. Keep your chin up."

Marietta's glare intensified across the table as soon as Trelawney had left. Ella just looked at her without any expression. She could have tried to see something in Marietta's future and predicted it, but Ella didn't feel like wasting the effort on someone like her.

Ella sat in her corner of the Common Room that evening doing homework until everyone else had gone to bed. As soon as the last person went to bed, Ella closed her book and sank back into her chair. Her hand felt cramped from writing so many essays and she gently rubbed her eyes. The calming potion was still in effect, but Ella wasn't sure it would do her dreams any good. There was a part of her that wanted to sleep in the Common Room, it meant she wouldn't wake anyone up in her dormitory if she did have a nightmare, but she was terrified of sleep walking. She hadn't done it for a few days, but the fear was certainly there still. She didn't even know what caused it or where she was trying to go, but she didn't want to find out.

She covered her face and sighed. It was important that she got some sleep that night. Her last duel was the next day with the Slytherin boy who seemed to be nothing but ruthless. Ella knew Moody expected her to win, but if Ella didn't sleep, the Slytherin boy would automatically have the upper hand. He obviously wanted the additional training, all the students did, but Ella needed it. With Moody's help, she could really set herself apart from the competition she'd have with being an Auror. If she could channel the same feelings she'd had the past few classes, she'd be more than fine, but Ella was tempted to take a calming potion before going to keep her nerves in check. Madam Pomfrey's warning about getting addicted to the potions still echoed in her head, and Ella pushed the idea away. She wanted to win her duel, but it wouldn't feel right if she did anything ahead of time to help give herself a leg up. Ella needed to be able to control her emotions and be brave.

"Ella…Ella?"

She opened her eyes to see Katie looking at her concerned. Ella glanced around the Common Room and saw it was still dark, but Ella knew she'd been asleep. The fireplace across the room seemed to have died out a while ago.

"What time is it?" Ella asked hesitantly. Katie looked surprised. "What is it?"

"You talked to me." Katie looked at her sadly. "You've hardly said a word to me all week. You haven't really talked to anyone."

Ella looked over at her books, feeling her throat constrict, "I've just been busy…"

"Stop lying to me, Ella," Katie snapped. Ella turned to face her and saw tears in Katie's eyes. "I know you're not busy. You've got the same homework I do aside from Divinations, and Cormac says your work load is basically equal with Muggle Studies. You saw something…"

"Katie…it's complicated…" Ella managed to choke out. Her throat had gotten unbelievable tight.

She looked at Ella, "I don't care if it's complicated. None of us do. We're worried-"

"You're always worried."

"Can you blame me?" Katie burst out before quickly bringing her voice back down. "I live with you; I've lived with you for five years now. I hear you whimper in your sleep, I wake you up when you start screaming. None of the others know how bad it can get, but I've seen it. I pretend not to notice when you have a horrible night because I know you don't want to talk about it, but that doesn't mean I don't know it's happening. It's horrible to hear and I know I can't understand your experiences, but I'm still here. I'm still trying to be your friend. Please just be my friend, Ella."

Ella took a shaking breath, "Graves."

"What?"

"I saw graves one night… It wasn't a real graveyard, so to speak, but there were names on the headstones. Names I recognized, names I know and love, and I knew the graves were there because of me. Because I failed and those people were dead. No one is dead yet, but everything I see keeps getting worse. I don't know how to protect people anymore. I don't want people to be killed because of me. I don't want to see your name on a headstone, Katie. I'd rather see you be sad or angry… I'd rather see you hate me instead of dead. I don't want anyone to die because I'm not good enough…"

Katie's arms wrapped around Ella and pulled her in close enough to almost feel like she was being crushed in the embrace. Ella could hear Katie sniffling, but because of the hug, she couldn't see Katie's face. Ella could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she pushed them away.

"We want to be your friend, Ella. These people are still alive, you don't know that they'll actually die and if they do it's not your fault. You're worth the risk. Being your friend is worth it because we care about you, Ella. We want to be with you. I've heard from everyone how much they miss you and how scared they are about what's going on with you. We've chose to be your friend; it's our choice no matter the consequences. Please, let us be your friends. You need friends, Ella, and we need you," Katie held onto Ella like she was afraid Ella would pull away and reject her if she didn't put everything into it.

Ella slowly brought her hands up to wrap around Katie. In her desire to keep her friends safe, she hadn't realized how important she was to them, or that they had been so hurt by her not wanting to be with them. She knew she had to keep them safe, that she would do whatever she needed to in order to keep everyone she loved safe, but the idea that they felt the same way was beyond her.

"I'm sorry…" Ella whispered into Katie's shoulder. Katie gave one last squeeze before breaking out of the hug.

"Come on, we need to get you to an actual bed. You've got a big day tomorrow," Katie led her up the stairs to their dormitory. Ella didn't even try to argue. She felt exhausted and dazed after talking to Katie.

The next time Ella opened her eyes, the sun was just beginning to peak through the curtains in her room. She slowly pushed herself to sit up. Katie looked over at her from her side of the dormitory as she was getting ready.

"I was just about to wake you…probably best you did it on your own though," Katie said. Ella nodded shyly and got ready herself. She felt uneasy, but it no longer had anything to do with being near Katie or even her other friends. Ella knew immediately what her class schedule was, and how her last class would be spent fighting a Slytherin for the coveted private lessons, as long as Moody didn't decide the Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw student deserved it more. Ella hoped she could prove her worth to Moody.

Ella looked over at Katie as the two headed towards the stairs that led to the Common Room. Some of her worry must have carried over on her face because Katie quickly reached out for her shoulder and have it a reassuring squeeze. Katie moved in front of Ella to go down to breakfast. Ella was glad that Katie didn't try making her talk again. She didn't know whether words would come out of her mouth or whatever was left in her stomach.

Her day felt like a rush of one class filled with notes and lectures after another. She paid attention, hanging on to each word, taking notes as she typically would, but the nerves flowing through her never died down, no matter how much she tried to force it into the back of her mind. She'd record a note about which giant began what battle, and then she would think of one of the spells she'd been studying for her duel and what its use would be.

It took every ounce of Ella's self-restraint to keep her book of jinxes and counter-jinxes closed in between classes and while at lunch. She'd read them all so often she could see the words on the page if she closed her eyes. Each spell and wand movement flowing behind her eyelids. She was just worried that they would all disappear as soon as the duel began.

"You're shaking."

Ella nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to face Fred who she hadn't even realized had sat beside her for lunch. George was next to his brother and Ella heard him stifle a laugh. Ella looked down at her hands and clasped them together to try and hold them still. Her leg began to bounce instead.

"I'm fine," she said trying to keep her voice level. She wanted to keep running through her spells. She could remember the proper movement for the jelly legs jinx, and she had a feeling that could certainly be a useful curse if she was fast enough to perform it.

"We both know that's a lie," Fred told her. "But Katie already explained the duel to us so I see why you would be."

"There's a lot at stake…"

Fred gave a small smile, "If anyone could do it, it's you."

"You don't know that-"

He laughed, "I do though. You helped me study for O.W.L.s last year when you were just learning fourth year things. You're better at it than most of the fifth years who are currently taking the course. Don't doubt yourself, Ella. You know what you're doing, and if you've got enough confidence, you can do just about anything."

Ella kept chanting those words in her head as she and Katie went into their Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. The Slytherin boy who bumped into her in an earlier lesson was already in the classroom when she got there. He stood in the corner of the room with several other Slytherins who all glared at her as she walked by. McLaggen quickly appeared in front of her and Katie grabbed her forearm to drag her to the other side of the room where the Gryffindors were standing.

"They're not going to cheat. I'll hex them myself if they try," McLaggen huffed. All the Gryffindors were watching the Slytherins with distrust. Ella hesitantly peaked over in that direction to see her classmates sneering at her. The tension between the houses was almost as bad as the Quidditch Cup. Even Jennifer looked like she was prepared to jinx the Slytherins to keep Ella out of harm's way, which wasn't something Ella expected.

Moody came hobbling into the classroom and barked at the students to get into desks. With only one last duel to complete, they'd work on some notes about improving accuracy and precision when working in a fast-paced setting such as a duel. Ella held on to every word Professor Moody said, trying to internalize everything so she could improve her dueling to a level he approved of.

"Worthington, Montague… in your positions. I want to see you both trying your hardest. One of you will get the lessons. I was unimpressed with the result of the final match in the other class, I expect you'll do better." The students moved the desks and themselves out of Ella and the Slytherin boy's way. Ella recognized Montague as one of Slytherin's Chasers for Quidditch. He was a brutal player who, like most of the team, didn't play fair. She had horrible feeling that the duel wouldn't be any different. Then again, it was a good assessment of her opponent. According to Moody, it was pivotal for any witch or wizard to be able to size up their opponent. Ella had been doing that since the beginning, but it never hurt to keep practicing so she could get better.

" _Impedimenta!"_ Ella cast as they began. Montague appeared to be just as bulky as the boy in her first duel, maybe a little less so, but the same idea was there. If she could slow him down, she could end the duel before it began. To her displeasure, he quickly dodged it and sent his own curse in turn for Ella to narrowly avoid.

Her mind was alight with different possibilities, but Montague seemed to be very closely matched. She tried to keep Moody's tips in mind as she worked on her duel. None of their classmates made any noise aside from a sharp intake of breath during close calls on either side. While Ella was appreciative of that, she also wished they'd make a lot of different sounds. It was extremely unlikely it'd be this quiet in an actual duel, her dreams showed her that much.

Ella side stepped a very well-done finger removing jinx. She wasn't sure if that was allowed, but Moody made no comment on his tactic. Ella could see him out of the corner of her eye at different times during the duel. He stood behind her classmates looking at the battle imposingly. Even when she didn't see Moody, she could feel his eyes on her. It made her skin crawl in a way she didn't want it to. Ella pushed the idea out of her head and channeled all her focus into her duel.

Montague sent a curse flying into a foe glass located on the side of the room. At first, Ella was confused how he'd managed to accidentally send a curse to the wrong side of the room, but then she watched him begin to manipulate the glass shards towards her. He didn't seem to be in control of the glass because several pieces headed towards the other students.

" _Protego!"_ Ella shouted. The shield charm burst out of her wand and expanded across the class room. Each piece of glass turned to dust as it hit the barrier. As soon as there was no threat to her or her classmates, Ella brought the shield down and immediate threw a jinx at him. He blocked it and shot one back at her.

It took several minutes of shouting curses at each other for Ella to gain the upper hand in the duel. Montague was panting and looked furious. Ella felt ready to shout the disarming charm when a spell hit her left shoulder causing a stinging pain to light her nerves on fire. She quickly shot out her wand arm without opening her mouth and managed to catch Montague's wand in the same hand she held her wand. As soon as her classmates realized what happened, they rushed forward to make sure Ella was alright. It was obvious that in his haste to win the duel, he used a stinging jinx to have the advantage once more.

"Detention, Montague. In a real duel, it'd be quick thinking, but the fact you nearly injured half the class is reckless and stupid during a lesson. You're lucky Miss. Worthington is far above the bar with her shield charms and was able to protect the class from your idiocy. Otherwise, I would've had to impale you myself." Moody growled at Montague who seemed to be struggling with whether to look angry, upset, or resigned. The Professor turned to Ella and muttered something under his breath. She felt a rush of relief spread through her. "You, on the other hand, have earned the private lessons more so than any other student I've seen in your year. You've got the makings of an expert duelist in you. The fact you were able to use a non-verbal charm to win the duel makes it all the more apparent. I'd like a quick word with you in my office about the nature of our meetings. Your friends are free to go to dinner with the rest of the students."

Katie and Cormac looked at Ella worriedly. She suddenly felt her heart begin to beat faster. Being alone with Moody shouldn't have made her feel this way. They had worked out that her previous fears about him were only a misunderstanding. Ella for some reason couldn't remember why she decided to trust him anymore. She placed her wand in her pocket, trying to busy herself with something in order to stop shaking. All of her classmates left the room, some glared at her while others congratulated her. She didn't know why she suddenly had the urge to leave the room with them. These lessons were what she'd had her eyes on for months now.

"You look frightened," Moody said as soon as the last student was out the door.

Ella turned towards him trying to appear confident, "I'm not…or I have no reason to be at least."

Moody nodded slowly, "Good. You should keep telling yourself that. But I can see you don't entirely believe yourself, do you, Miss. Worthington."

His blue eye turned on her and she felt the urge to throw up, "Sir, I believe-"

"You don't," he said. Several images began slamming about Ella's brain with a ferocity she hadn't felt in years. Some mental barrier was in the way, but she knew something was horribly wrong. "Don't worry, Miss. Worthington. I'm not going to hurt you. You'll get your training, while I keep my safety. What a brilliant plan, yes? The Dark Lord gets a stronger prize and I continue my work."

Ella moved to pull her wand out of her robes, but Moody was quicker. She felt her mind going blank. Everything clouded over once more.

* * *

 **I know I don't have much of a right to ask, but please review and let me know your thoughts. I'd like to see if you all are still out there for me. I know it was a long hiatus. Hope you enjoyed!**


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